Erdoğan's political approach does not only affect domestic affairs, but also international ones in very sensitive cases such as the Russian-Ukrainian war, Sweden's bid for NATO membership and the Cyprus dispute, about which some western politicians do not share the same thoughts with president Erdoğan and hope that the opposition leader Kiliçdaroğlu, who several Western powers put their support behind him, would govern in favor of them.
The election comes at a time of struggle for recovery after the Feb. 6 earthquakes that killed tens of thousands of people in the country's southeast. About 3 million people have left the provinces hit by "the disaster of the century", about 1.5 million are eligible to vote and will cast their votes from the places they have been relocated to.
Scores of Western media outlets do not hesitate to spread anti-Erdoğan propaganda by publishing biased political analyses and misleading opinions to ensure Erdoğan's loss in May 14 elections. At every opportunity, some of the Western states help the Kılıçdaroğlu-led opposition bloc that is expected to serve the interest of Western powers after coming to power in Türkiye.
The British magazine The Economist published a story calling on Western powers to pay attention to Türkiye's upcoming elections, claiming that the country is "on the brink of disaster" under Erdoğan's rule. But the Turkish president replied, "Does the British magazine determine the fate of Türkiye? My nation determines it. The British magazine cannot determine the fate of Türkiye."
By making anti-Erdoğan coverage and spreading confusing content, Western media will continue to wage a mud-slinging campaign to ensure the removal of Türkiye's iconic political figure Erdoğan from power after the May 14 polls.
*Written by journalist Mustafa T. R. Al-Assar.
