Novel developments in Turkish politics have generated excitement in some quarters. For the last two decades, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was triumphant in all general and local elections; therefore, whenever an occasion for electoral competition arose, almost everybody expected yet another triumph by the AK Party. In the last local elections, however, the AK Party did not perform well in metropolitan municipalities, and thus, new expectations and motivations immediately emerged in certain segments of society.
After a 70-year quest for political power, the Republican People's Party (CHP) has truly begun to hope for political power again. After ruling the country single-handedly during the founding decades of the republic, the CHP pioneered Turkey's transition to a multiparty electoral system to take part in the newly founded democratic world order that was largely shaped by the United States after the end of World War II. After the multiparty electoral system was established, however, the CHP lost its grip on politics and was unable to regain it, apart from a few isolated wins.
While the AK Party has been the dominant political party in the country for the last two decades, Turkey's transition to a presidential system concluded with a new political system, which is largely based on electoral alliances among different political parties. Therefore, not only the ruling AK Party and the main opposition CHP, but also two major electoral alliances are now competing.
As part of this democratic electoral struggle, the AK Party's "dominant political party" status poses a problem not only for opposition parties but also for Western powers, who hope to restrict Turkey to a semi-colonial position.
Opposing the political agendas of the Western colonial empire, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a strong political leader in the internal arena continues to trouble Western powers. James Franklin Jeffry, the United States' special representative for Syria engagement, once remarked that Erdoğan uprightly told us about our mistakes, while all other political leaders in the Middle East merely flattered the U.S.
With the theme "The World is Bigger Than Five," President Erdoğan repeatedly underlined the ongoing injustice in the organization of the United Nations Security Council, while pointing out to the U.N. General Assembly how the U.N. mainly serves the interests of the U.S.
Regarding the involvement of Western powers in Turkey's electoral process, especially the close interest of German media in Turkey's presidential referendum of 2017, came to the front of public debate. Instead of conducting neutral analyses on electoral competition, German media mainly adopted an open anti-Erdoğan stance.
Why was such a hostile political position against the leadership of Erdoğan adopted by German media? Besides, what is the main political agenda of Western powers in the Middle East and beyond?
Their main goal is nothing other than sustaining their 300 year global colonial empire through ever-evolving, self-serving versions of their system. When even the cruelest dictators begin to work in their favor, they are suddenly treated as the most harmless creatures of the world. When Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered in Istanbul by Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would not take punitive measures against Riyadh to protect American interests. In other words, Trump openly declared that Saudi oil money is so vital for the national interests of the U.S. that open brutality of a dictatorship could be overlooked.
Being well-integrated in the international system and its historical heritage of state tradition, Turkey could both sustain its relations with international players and pursue its own national interests. As Western powers target President Erdoğan, our sense of belonging to our country strengthens. Opposing the interests of the Western colonial empire, such a strong international leader would undoubtedly be declared the bad guy. Therefore, we must be aware of political leaders that Western powers support in our country.
Only leaders who adopt a truly national stance could promote Turkey in the following topics: the development of Turkey's democracy; the development of Turkey's educational system; industrialization and the growth of Turkey's economy; the full independence of Turkey; growth of Turkey's regional power; the emergence of Turkey as a leading country in terms of economy, health and science; the rise of Turkey's per capita income above $15,000; the development of Turkey's aviation and space technology, including the construction of the greatest airport in the world; and strengthening Turkish Airlines, which has already become a global brand.