We can all remember that almost all the parties joining the 2017 federal elections in Germany sought to increase their vote share by using an anti-Turkey discourse. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rightfully criticized the situation and called on the electorate of Turkish descent to not vote for the parties that had anti-Turkish sentiment.
Unfortunately, the political parties in Germany were unfair to this call. Turkey was accused of interfering with Germany's domestic affairs. Germany issued a travel warning against Turkey on this pretext. Likewise, during the electoral periods in the Netherlands and Austria, the two countries often stressed that they were worried about Turkey's call to their electorate bases of Turkish descent.
Yet, Turkey has not interfered with the elections in any of those countries. Ankara only warned its people against racist parties and ones with anti-Turkey sentiment. Turkey has not demanded anything from the European electorate of Turkish descent other than embracing EU values.
Still, Turkey was accused of interference. With some nerve, those same countries are now interfering with the elections in Turkey using their representative offices and journalists. The political parties of these countries are calling the Turkish electorate not to elect the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and President Erdoğan. They are going to any lengths to that end.
Although they declared that they banned propaganda activities regarding the elections in Turkey, they are only restricting the activities of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Propaganda for parties against Erdoğan - such as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the Good Party (İP) and the Felicity Party (SP) - is not being controlled despite the so-called ban.
The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), who overtly expresses its support to the PKK terrorist group, can freely make propaganda in many European cities without facing any problems.
What kind of an understanding of democracy is this? What kind of a double standard?
Some European countries claiming to uphold democracy are disturbed by the fact that the Turkish electorate opts to support Erdoğan and the AK Party. Therefore, they are trying to encourage the parties or candidates whom they believe can win against Erdoğan. Some circles in Europe would even unabashedly give money to the electorate to prevent Erdoğan's victory were they to know that they would not be caught. Such a method was once practiced in Cyprus for a referendum.
The same countries that went on a rampage during their electoral periods are using any means necessary to intervene in the Turkish elections. The EU countries' efforts to manipulate the elections do in fact provoke Euroscepticism among the Turkish public.
They endeavor to sabotage Turkey's economy and aim to distress the Turkish electorate this way, while running operations to manipulate public opinion with lies. All this does though, is create backlash. The Turkish electorate knows very well that all of this is an attempt prevent Turkey from becoming a more social, democratic and powerful country and to dissolve the independence of the country. The European citizens of Turkish descent are aware of the operations to shape opinions run through media outlets. For these reasons, the AK Party and Erdoğan will increase their vote share and consolidate their power.
In a nutshell, they are practicing in Turkey the things they do not wish to see in their own countries, but they will not be able to achieve their goals.
