Turkish officials and social media users denounced the notorious cover of The Economist published Thursday. The London-based weekly disclosed its open stance to support the opposition challenging incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and expressed hope that Erdoğan would “go.”
Conveniently ignoring the democratic process in the country that brought Erdoğan to power repeatedly, the magazine urged voters to “Save Democracy.”
“It is not the Economist, but the nation that will choose its next president,” Justice Minister of Türkiye Bekir Bozdağ said on Friday. His remarks were the latest in a barrage of comments critical of the magazine’s coverage of the May 14 elections where Erdoğan is favored to win according to the opinion polls.
Bozdağ said in a televised interview on Friday that The Economist was just one of “those, from presidents to journalists who seek to interfere with Türkiye’s elections or to influence voters’ choice in our country.”
Numan Kurtulmuş, deputy chair of Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said it was “not the business” of a magazine to pick a side that the Turkish nation would decide to vote for on May 14.
Kurtulmuş said at an event in Istanbul on Friday that the Economist and other Western publications shared the same goal with the opposition bloc which “united them with the sole purpose of standing against Erdoğan.” “Our ambitions make hearts pound in Europe, and in the United States. Just as we are working to improve the future of Türkiye, they are working to disrupt our efforts,” he said.
The magazine’s campaign to “save democracy” appeared to have backfired on social media. Erdoğan's followers reiterated their support for the longstanding leader, while Erdoğan's critics said it indeed played into the hands of the Turkish President who often complains of foreign intervention attempts in Türkiye under his leadership.
Erdoğan is credited with cutting off or reducing Türkiye’s dependence on other countries, particularly the West, in various fields. Erdoğan often boasts about achievements of the local defense industry that strengthened Türkiye’s security and fight against terrorism.
The president himself is praised by his supporters for diplomatic skills that made Türkiye a significant actor in international affairs.
