On May 30, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion on the results of the presidential elections in Turkey.
The presidential elections in Turkey are in the focus of the international political and expert community. In the first round, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won 49.52% of the vote, beating opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu by almost 5%. The results of the first round show that the preferences of voters were divided between the main candidates almost equally, which is why the results of the second round are of particular interest both at home and abroad.
Amid the current geopolitical conditions, Turkey retains its key importance for Russia. The country seeks to mediate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and is an active participant in the Black Sea grain deal, which was extended on May 17. Moreover, after the closure of European airspace for Russian aircraft, the main tourist and business flows from Russia have taken place through Turkey.
After the announcement of the second round, the Turkish Ambassador to Russia, Mehmet Samsar, noted that "the relations between Russia and Turkey are unlikely to change after the results of the presidential elections are summed up." However, a number of experts have expressed concern about a possible change of course in the event of a victory for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
What can Moscow expect from Turkey's foreign and domestic policy after the elections? Will there be continuity in Ankara's political course towards Russia? Which areas will be affected by the changes, and which areas of cooperation can be developed? Participants of the expert discussion tried to answer these and other questions.
Speakers:
- Alexei Yerkhov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Turkey;
- Pavel Shlykov, Associate Professor, Department of History of the Countries of the Near and Middle East, ISAA, Lomonosov Moscow State University, RIAC expert;
- Hasan Ünal, Professor, Maltepe University (Turkey);
- Hasan Selim Özertem, political analyst, Turkey
Moderator:
Working languages: Russian, English.