Opposition can’t defend Türkiye’s rights in Mediterranean, Erdoğan says

ANKARA

The opposition alliance has no in-depth diplomacy knowledge and will to protect Türkiye’s rights and interests in the wider region, particularly in the Aegean and Mediterranean, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.

“How can they perform diplomacy with this mindset? How can they fight against terror organizations that attack our southern borders? How can they run equivalent relations with the United States and the European Union?” Erdoğan asked at a party meeting on Nov. 30 in Ankara.

Erdoğan also stressed that the opposition has no capacity to protect Türkiye’s rights in the Aegean and Mediterranean as was seen during past crisis between Ankara and Athens as well as other European countries.

“In sum, how can the opposition run the country?” Erdoğan asked.

Türkiye will go to the polls in 2023 and the opposition has recently announced a comprehensive constitutional amendment package, the president said, accusing the six-party alliance of trying to pledge privileges to terror-linked political parties. “They have produced a weird proposal to the advantage of the political party that is being controlled by the terrorist organization,” he said, referring to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

The opposition proposal suggests to increase the share of the small parties from the Treasury’s annual financial support.

“Don’t be deceived by the opposition’s lies. Their proposal for a strengthened parliamentary system is futile. What they do is just meetings,” Erdoğan stressed, criticizing the six-party alliance for trying to de-stabilize Türkiye just like in the past.

“Don’t we remember futile coalition governments? There were governments lasting less than eight, ten months. We won’t return to those days,” he vowed, saying the Turkish people will not give the power to this mindset.

Erdoğan will run as the joint candidate of the People’s Alliance by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The six-party Nation Alliance is yet to announce its joint presidential nominee.