A Lebanese political expert says incumbent Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to get the support of people in urban
areas in the recent election mainly due to his interference in
Syria and the fallout of his intervention in the war.
In an interview with the Press TV website, Nasser Qandil,
editor-in-chief of Lebanons al-Binaa newspaper, noted that most of
the youths in cities did not vote for Erdogan who has been at the
pinnacle of Turkish politics for more than two decades with the
slogan 20 years is enough.
The issue of Syrian refugees and Erdogans role in the Syrian war
was among the reasons behind the decrease in his votes in cities,
he said.
This is while his rival has promised to transfer refugees to
their country within two years and deport them if necessary.
Erdogan gained 49.5 percent of the vote in Sundays presidential
race compared to 44.9 percent for his challenger, Kemal
Kilicdaroglu.
As neither candidate reached the 50 percent threshold needed to
win outright, a runoff vote will take place on May 28.
Erdogan took home fewer votes in 2023 than he did in the 2018
presidential contest.
Qandil said that in the second round of the election, Erdogan
will face challenges such as heavy economic and social costs of
Syrian refugees residing in Turkey, the growing unemployment rate,
the rent surge, and the rising competition between Turkish and
Syrian workers.
With the support of Russia, Iran and Persian Gulf states,
Erdogan can draw a two-year framework for the Turkish withdrawal
from Syria, the return of refugees, and the dispersal of terrorists
from Syrias northeast and northwest, he said.
The second round may give better opportunities to Erdogans
rival, unless he bravely plays his trump card and voices readiness
to formulate a timetable for the return of Syrian refugees.
For more than a decade, Turkey has backed militants fighting
against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and
sent its own troops into the Arab countrys northern areas.
In recent months, however, the strategically-located US-led NATO
member has taken steps to normalize relations with Syria.
Also in his interview, the Lebanese political analyst compared
Erdogan with Kilicdaroglu, saying the incumbent president
represents a political religion close to the West, while the latter
acts for the Western-oriented and anti-religious secular
movement.
Regarding international developments, he argued that Erdogan
tends to pay attention to political and economic partnerships, but
his rival wants Turkey to play a regional role without being drawn
into war and expansionism.
Qandil furt......
