The elections to be held on 14 May in Turkey are closely followed by the international community.
The European press discussed the question of whether there will be a change in Turkish foreign policy if President Tayyip Erdogan loses his power for more than 20 years in the election.
In the news on the EURACTIV website, which focuses on news from Europe, Czech Ambassador to Ankara Pavel Vacek’s evaluations about the election process drew attention. Vacek commented that if the opposition in Turkey comes out victorious in the elections, it is not expected to experience major changes in Turkish foreign policy.
‘The opposition attaches importance to relations with the EU’
Making special statements to EURACTIV, the Czech ambassador said that the opposition promised to return to the parliamentary system from the presidential system, and that it also aims to improve relations with the EU.
“The opposition thinks that its victory will be an important development in Turkey-EU relations,” said Vacek, but argued that a major change in direction should not be expected in Turkish foreign policy. “Opposition parties do not foresee a major transformation in the main external vectors of Turkish politics,” said Vacek, adding, “Turkey will not be much different. Big countries don’t change in a year.
The Czech diplomat also noted that he did not expect sudden changes from Turkey on the Russia-Ukraine war, the Cyprus problem, and relations with Syria, adding, “Of course we are in contact with the opposition parties. There are some differences from the current government, but these are not at a very basic level,” he said.
