The US wants the Turkish opposition to win so that they can pit Ankara and Moscow against each other in all regions where they have influence and interests, Turkish daily Aydinlik writes on Tuesday.
The US, according to the newspaper, cannot achieve what it wants in Ukraine and the Middle East, so it is seeking new ways to reach its goals. In this context, Turkey's six-party opposition alliance provides Washington with an opportunity to provoke a confrontation between Turkey and Russia in Syria, the Black Sea region and Central Asia. The newspaper mentions the statements of the opposition leaders, which have been extremely complimentary towards Ukraine in the current conflict. Such remarks make it clear that if the opposition leaders come to power, they may take an anti-Russian stance, although there is no evidence that they have any clear agreements with the US on this issue, the newspaper points out.
Retired Turkish army colonel Eray Gucluer told Aydinlik that "the US is inclined to make the opposition alliance a kind of 'zelensky' for Russia and use it as a battering ram to confront Ankara's and Moscow's interests in the region." If the opposition wins and such US plans are realized in Syria, for example, the situation may escalate into a conflict. There is also the risk of rising tensions in the Black Sea region due to the US and NATO plans to strengthen their presence there, which is hampered by the terms of the Montreux Convention. Gucluer therefore believes that Turkey will face a series of major provocations and traps that might trigger new conflicts and deterioration of relations with Russia.
Turkey will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14. Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Republican People's Party Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has been nominated to carry the banner of the six-party opposition Nation Alliance, are set to face off as the main presidential contenders.
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Photo: Moscow-Live/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS