Turkish FM slams The Economist for 'meddling in Turkish elections'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Agencies
4 May 22:53

The Turkish government has long had grievances with the British paper, however, these grievances peaked when the Economist called for Erdogan to be voted out to "save democracy".

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (AP)

Mevlut Cavusoglu has criticized the British weekly magazine, The Economist, for allegedly telling the Turkish public who they should vote for in the presidential elections.

The defeat of Recep Tayyip Erdogan would have global consequences—and show democrats everywhere that strongmen can be beaten https://t.co/bHPEstl69d pic.twitter.com/tMjhj2Wa1P
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 4, 2023

The Turkish government has long had grievances with the British paper, however, these grievances peaked when the Economist called for Erdogan to be voted out to "save democracy".

"No one can usurp the democratic will of the Turkish nation. Our people will have their say on May 14," Cavusoglu wrote on social media.

Bu “The Economist”in ilk vukuatı değil.

İstedikleri kadar hariçten gazel okumaya devam etsinler.

Türk milletinin demokratik iradesini kimse gasbedemez.

Halkımız gereken cevabı 14 Mayıs günü verecektir. pic.twitter.com/8gll3xvraf
— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) May 4, 2023

A cover article from The Economist was also posted online, with the headline "If Turkey sacks its strongman, democrats everywhere should take heart." According to the editorial, Erdogan's main competitor was better equipped to give Turkish people freedom and wealth.

In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, Ahmet Hamdi Çamlı an MP of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP) described the anticipated elections as the most important in the history of the republic: noting that the outcome will be fateful for Turkey. Çamlı also accused the incumbent US president, Joe Biden of providing support for Erdogan's opponents.

Furthermore, based on his fieldwork, Çamlı claimed that votes in favor of the AKP party have been assessed to be increasing despite smear campaigns leveled against them by the Republican People's Party: saying that Kemal Kilicdaroglu should be ashamed of such tactics.