Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
DPRK strongly condemnded the US strikes on Iran
Iran: Fars News Agency: A woman and her 6-year-old son were killed in an Israeli drone attack on Kermanshah Province
Iran: IRNA: Attack Wave 21 was not carried out, and the operation carried out minutes ago was from Yemen against targets in the occupied territories
Sirens are sounding in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas
Israeli military command: We identified missiles launched from Iran
Tunis: The legitimacy created by World War II is crumbling and the future belongs to free peoples of the world
Tunis: We emphasize that the aggression against Iran should not obscure other ongoing crimes, the first of which is the war of extermination against the Palestinian people
Tunis: International legitimacy does not permit or justify aggression against Iran under any cover or title
Tunisia: Foreign Ministry: We call for an end to the aggression against our sister country, Iran, and we do not limit ourselves to condemning the Zionist and American attacks
Iran: Nur News: An Israeli aerial assault is targeting the region of Parchin, east Tehran

Sweden meddling in Turkish election, Ankara proclaims

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 21 May 2023 22:57
3 Min Read

Turkey accuses Sweden of election meddling, as it sees that Stockholm wants to influence the vote in Turkey to oust incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

  • x
  • Supporters of the pro-secular main opposition party, the Republican People's Party, watch election results on a cellphone, outside party headquarters, in Ankara, Turkey, May 14, 2023 (AP)
    Supporters of the pro-secular main opposition party, the Republican People's Party, watch election results on a cellphone, outside party headquarters, in Ankara, Turkey, May 14, 2023 (AP)

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has accused Sweden of meddling in his country's elections after the runoff election was set for next Sunday.

Soylu, a member of the ruling AKP party, accused election monitors from the Swedish Oy ve Otesi (vote and Beyond) of putting pressure on voters at polling places.

"The Swedish state is funding this Oy ve Otesi association. Sending it money, but why? To interfere in the election in Turkey. It is so obvious and clear," the minister told a campaign rally in Istanbul, as quoted by the Aydinlik newspaper.

Soylu is renowned for his constant harsh criticism of the West, accusing the United States on Wednesday of trying to influence the election that has seen President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, go into a runoff election that will be held on Sunday.

Sweden has been pushing for NATO accession for months, and that requires unanimous approval from all of the alliance's members. Though it applied with Finland to join NATO, Sweden was left in the dust after Turkey was the sole country not to agree to its accession after approving Finland's bid. 

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin claimed that Finland still wants to join NATO with Sweden, noting that "we have sent a very clear signal and a very clear message to Turkey and also to Hungary... that we want to enter NATO together and this is in the interest of everyone."

Related News

OIC calls for immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Iran

Erdogan offers to mediate Iran-US nuclear talks amid war

Days later, Finland became a member of NATO and Stockholm was still seeking membership.

Ankara suspended negotiations with Sweden in outrage following rallies attacking the Turkish leadership in Stockholm and the burning of the holy Quran outside Turkey's embassy, but the talks resumed in Brussels on March 9.

Turkey has opposed Sweden's bid, accusing Stockholm of providing a safe haven for what it considers "terrorists", especially members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Erdogan emphasized on several occasions that the ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO will depend on Stockholm's future actions.

Erdogan closed the first round with 49.51% of the votes, with Kilicdaroglu placing second at 44.88%, followed by Sinan Ogan at 5.17%.

After no candidate won an absolute majority (50% +1) of the votes in the Turkish elections, the head of the nation's electoral authority announced that a runoff will take place on May 28, 2023.  

In the upcoming second round, it is important to consider that Erdogan is expected to have an advantageous position over Kilicdaroglu due to his lead in the first round and the positive parliamentary results favoring the ruling coalition in contrast to the opposition.

The outcome came as a surprise and disappointment to the opposition, who had set high expectations for both the presidential and parliamentary elections. In the presidential race, the opposition was hopeful that even if they couldn't secure victory in the first round, Kilicdaroglu would at least receive the highest number of votes.

  • Turkey
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
  • Nato
  • Finland
  • Sweden
  • Kemal Kilicdaroglu

Most Read

Iran launches 9th wave of Op. True Promise 3, destroys IOF air defense

Iran launches 9th wave of Op. True Promise 3, destroys IOF air defense

  • MENA
  • 17 Jun 2025
Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025 (AP)

Wave 12 of Operation True Promise 3 launched, Sejjil deployed: IRGC

  • Politics
  • 18 Jun 2025
Israeli workers survey the site where a missile launched from Iran struck in Haifa on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

True Promise 3, wave 20: 40 missiles launched, Kheibar-Shekan in first

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025
Iran launches missile barrage to Tel Aviv, casualties reported

True Promise 3, wave 14: Tel Aviv targeted, casualties reported

  • Politics
  • 19 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, speaks with then-Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, January 17, 2017 (AP)
Politics

Iran holds the initiative after nuclear strikes, Shamkhani says

Blood stains a religious painting inside Mar Elias Church, where a suicide bomber detonated himself in al-Dwela, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN, regional governments condemn Damascus church bombing

A B-2 bomber arrives at Whiteman Air Force Base Missouri, Sunday, June 22, 2025, after returning from a massive strike on Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday (AP)
Politics

Israeli media: US-Israeli strike on Iran failed to end war

China UN Ambassador Fu Cong addresses the United Nations Security Council, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Politics

China slam US strikes on Iran nuclear sites

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS