Turkish voters won’t support US plans or elect American pawns: Turkish politician

By Somayeh Khalili

Türkiye is on the threshold of an “ultimate solution”, which involves a complete separation from the “Atlantic System” and proximity with Asian powers, and this year’s Turkish presidential election will bring the country closer to that solution, according to a Turkish political leader.

In an exclusive interview with the Press TV website, Berke Mustafa Berkil, a senior leader of Türkiye’s Patriotic Party, said the fact that the “Table of Six” – which he referred to as the “tool of the US” – could not win in the first round despite lofty claims, shows Turkish people “do not support US plans”.

“Turkish nation will not support the power plans of the US and will not elect those who are tools of the US. My prediction is that Mr. (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan will win this election. However, this election alone will not create the force that can solve the problems of Türkiye and the region,” he stressed.

“The only thing that has changed after the election is that Türkiye's challenges have increased. Türkiye has a period full of challenges ahead of it, which it must address with radical solutions.”

The closely contested presidential vote went to the run-off after Erdogan failed to secure 50 percent of the votes required to form the new government and extend his 20-year stint at the helm.

The incumbent president got 49.5 percent votes in Sunday’s presidential election while his main challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu took 44.89 percent – neither of them securing the outright majority.

The run-off will be held on May 28 with Erdogan starting as a favorite even though Kilicdaroglu has expressed confidence that his party would emerge victorious.

Berkil said the new government in Ankara must adapt to the changing geopolitical realities with the US-led unipolar world “coming to an end” and the Atlantic System “in the midst of a major collapse”.

“In the face of this, a new civilization is rising from Asia. The pioneers of this new civilization are Iran, Russia, China and Türkiye because of their great tradition and current strength,” he said.

The Turkish politician and a staunch anti-imperialist told the Press TV website that it is important to scientifically determine the probabilities regarding the outcome of the May 28 run-off vote.

“Since 2014, step by step, but with zigzags, Türkiye has been moving towards policies that would ensure its integrity and its break with the Atlantic System led by the US. We see that these policies are in line with the interests of the countries in the region. As a matter of fact, we are in a process where Türkiye-Iran relations have improved since 2014,” he explained.

“Of course, this was not something that US imperialism and Israeli Zionism could accept. Therefore, the US-Israel attempted various activities in order to intervene in this process and to take Türkiye, which was "out of their control", back under their control.”

Berkil described the July 15, 2016, coup as “one of the most obvious examples of these activities”.

“This election is another attempt in the US plans to overthrow the (Erdogan) government, which they have tried but failed to achieve by using weapons such as terrorism and coup attempts,” he remarked. “In this respect, these elections are between Türkiye and America.”

On the eve of Sunday’s vote, Erdogan told his supporters that US President Joe Biden had given instructions to “topple” him while criticizing his main rival who accused Russia of “interference”.

“Biden gave the instructions saying, ‘We have to topple Erdogan.’ I know this. All my people know this. Tomorrow the ballots will give Biden an answer as well,” Erdogan told a rally in Istanbul.

Berkil said the Israeli regime, like the US, also represents a threat to all countries in the region, including Turkey, adding that Washington wants to build “Three Israels” in the region.

“Israel is not in a different position from the US. On the contrary, the Israeli regime, as the representative of aggression, is a threat to all countries in our region,” he said.

“Türkiye's struggle against Israel is indispensable both for its own interests and for the interests of the region. The results of the election will not change this reality.”

On which candidate’s policies are in tune with regional interests, the Turkish politician said there are “clear differences” between the two main candidates – Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu.

“Kilicdaroglu is directly the government plan of the US. The Six-Party Table is also a tool of the US. Therefore, he is in a position to pursue a policy in line with the interests of neither Türkiye nor our region. On the contrary, he will bind Türkiye to the shackles of the Atlantic. It will be the centre of activities that will create enmity with Iran, Russia, China and our region,” Berkil warned.

Erdogan, on the other hand, is “on the side of Türkiye and therefore on the side of Iran, Russia, China and Asia”, Berkil stressed, “despite all his mistakes and contradictions”.

“However, it is also a fact that Erdogan and the (ruling) AK Party leadership are currently far from the experience and strategic horizon to implement radical solutions in favor of the region in this process,” he hastened to add.

He said Kilicdaroglu’s chances of winning the run-off are very slim, and even if he emerges winner, the Turkish nation won’t support his plans against regional countries and in favor of the US.

“We are not hopeless. We look to the future with confidence. The US and Israel are suffering defeats all over the world. They are far from being a force that can determine the future of the world. Therefore, there will be no US imperialism and Israeli Zionism in the future,” Berkil asserted.

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