Ahead of Turkey's landmark general election, the head of the Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi), Dogu Perincek,  affirmed to Al Mayadeen that the upcoming elections will be a rivalry between Washington and Ankara.

Perincek went on to say that Turkey’s six-party opposition bloc - headed by the leader of Turkey's Republican People's Party and Presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu - has a "US-backed agenda".

"The United States of America has previously meddled directly in Turkey to develop a popular base which includes the opposition's Alliance," he stressed.

Perincek has rejected to vote for Kilicdaroglu, considering that "voting for Kilicdaroglu is voting for the US", describing the leader of the Republican People's Party and the opposition's Presidential candidate as a "catastrophe" for Turkey and the whole region.

He noted that the Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi) did not nominate a presidential candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, however, it is seeking representation in the Turkish parliament.

"Even if the  Patriotic Party failed to make its way into parliament; it remains one of the most influential political parties in Turkey," he affirmed.

The head of the Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi), Dogu Perincek to #AlMayadeen: "Our Party will remain the most influential party in #Turkey, even if we do not win the elections and enter parliament." #TurkeyElections #TurkishElections2023 https://t.co/WuGmY5oKka

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 13, 2023

Commenting on the prospects of Turkey’s future amid the power struggle between the parliament and the presidency, the top Turkish official argued that if the parliament included pro-western and pro-Erdogan members, the country will be divided.

"This will be a very hard phase which will be open to all possibilities," he stressed.

On his view regarding Turkey adopting a parliamentary or presidential system, he said that the presidential system in Turkey is based on the presidential system in the US, which led to a marginalized Parliament.

"Turkey has strong parliamentary traditions, and these traditions will stay, and we will enter the stage of a strong parliament and a strong government," he said.

Perincek hoped that the next parliament will truly represent the Turkish people, stressing the importance of Ankara's expansion into Asia.

He further stated that “the US is strongly meddling in the Turkish affairs, recalling that Foreign Policy – a US-affiliated news publication- posted in 2022 an article which projected that the elections in Turkey will descend into a bloodbath.”

Regarding the Palestinian struggle, Perincek called on the Palestinians and all Arab countries to stand up against Zionist imperialism.

"Our struggle against this imperialism will continue," he vowed.

The head of the Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi), Dogu Perincek to #AlMayadeen: "I call on the #Palestinians and all #Arab countries to stand up against Zionist imperialism... Our struggle against this imperialism will continue."#Palestine #TurkeyElections #TurkishElections https://t.co/jDWl5UgfOX

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 13, 2023

Perincek called for strengthening Turkey's relations with a number of countries, most notably Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Russia, in addition to Asian and North African countries.

As for Syria, he expressed that the country's territories must be "cleansed of the American presence and its terrorism."

On the martyrdom of Major General Qassem Soleimani, Perincek acknowledged, “Qassem Soleimani is a martyr for us all, not just for the Iranian people.”

Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in Turkey on 14 May 2023. Voters will elect a new president for a term of five years. What will come out of the ballot boxes, a new reign for Erdogan, or a surprising win for the opposition parties?