Confident of his re-election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appeared in an interview with an American network, saying that he has no worries about whether or not he will win the next elections in Turkey.
He gave an interview to the American PBS channel on Monday while he was in New York for the UN General Assembly.
"We are not worried about winning the elections," said the President of Turkey. "No one will replace us, because there is no alternative."
In fact, when asked if there is a possibility of contesting the election result, as happened in the USA, Erdoğan stated that these are common things, but clarified: "There is losing by a wide margin and not winning. But at the moment we are in such a position, which allows us to triumph."
The President of Turkey received several questions about the war in Ukraine, but also about his country's relations with the US, which he said are not ideal because trade transactions today are not at the level they should be.
"And in the defence industry, we are not at the level we want. For example, we have a pending issue on F-16s. We have procured F-16s from the US. However, on the contrary, specific political decisions are taken, resulting in the imposition of sanctions on Turkey," he said.
"This is not so common between two friendly countries, such as the USA and Turkey," Erdoğan added.
At the same time, there are enough media abroad, as well as in Turkey, that report that Erdoğan is in a difficult position regarding the elections, which is why he has turned to Russia to strengthen the economic state of his country, restore its image and relieve citizens from rising energy costs.
At the same time, it is pointed out that his popularity also needs a boost, which according to opinion polls in Turkey has decreased significantly mainly due to rising inflation and the high rate of unemployment.
However, according to media in Sweden, apart from economic benefits, the most important thing for Erdoğan regarding Russia is the influence he can exert at the diplomatic level, which is why many Turkish experts, including former generals, are often seen repeating Moscow's statements and arguments while supporting the Erdoğan government.
Besides, according to Turkish journalists, a poll conducted in Turkey a few days ago shows that 64% of the country's citizens believe that the elections gave a new impetus for the escalation of Greek-Turkish relations and that Greece is not their enemy.
However, as the Turkish Ahval reports, Erdoğan realises that his re-election is probably not as certain as he wants to declare, which is why he has decided to turn to a more aggressive pre-election strategy in order to avoid an overthrow.
Most of the weight has been placed on the presidential elections, which will be held after the parliamentary elections in May, while Erdoğan hopes that if they are held earlier he will avoid rumours and discussions about whether he will run again.
At the same time, one of his goals is to proceed with an increase in salaries for civil servants and for all workers in general, in March and April respectively, crucial months for the elections. He believes that in this way he will be able to appease the citizens' reactions regarding the rising costs living in Turkey.
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