Opposition leader thinks Turkish foreign policy is 'bipolar'
İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener thinks that Turkey's foreign policy is inconsistent and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is to blame. "Our foreign policy advances are based on Erdoğan's love and hate relationships and it's become bipolar," said Akşener. The opposition leader also touched on the issue of Syrian refugees and said that another wave of immigration could cost Erdoğan the presidential election "he wants so badly."
Duvar English
Turkey's foreign policy is "bipolar" and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is responsible for it, opposition right-wing Good Party (İYİ Party) leader Meral Akşener has said, as she commented on a recent deal signed between Ankara and internationally-recognized Tripoli government.
"Our foreign policy advances are based on Erdoğan's love and hate relationships and it's become bipolar," Akşener told broadcaster Habertürk on Dec. 26, adding that she doesn't approve of sending Turkish troops to Libya to become a part of the country's civil war.
The U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) on Dec. 27 requested from Turkey “air, ground and sea” military support to fend off an offensive of General Khalifa Haftar’s forces to take the capital Tripoli.
A day earlier, Erdoğan said Turkey will send troops to Libya at the request of Tripoli as soon as next month, adding that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will submit a bill to allow for the deployment of troops as soon as parliament reconvenes.
During her interview, Akşener said that the government should inform parliament on the operation before it votes on the authorization for use of military force.
'Syrians could cost Erdoğan the presidential election'
Akşener said that Turkey had become a "moat of immigration" and that President Erdoğan appeared responsible for it.
"Turkey can't bear the burden of the issue of Syrians, it will hit Erdoğan like a boomerang," Akşener said. "This is the parameter that could cost Erdoğan the presidential election he so badly wants."
The opposition leader pointed out that 110,000 refugees had been given a citizenship, 4 million Syrians were under legal protection and 40 billion Turkish liras were spent on the issue even though "both Syrians and Turks are unhappy."
"I don't think Erdoğan approaches this with a deep plan or schedule. Erdoğan thinks he's the father of this country and us his children. He acts emotionally," Akşener said, adding that a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was necessary to coordinate the return of refugees to their homeland.