“Nepotism could be Erdogan’s weak point,” Turkish exiled journalist says

@theEUpost (October 1, 2020) – “Nepotism could be Turkish President Erdogan’s weak point and should be further explored for leverage,” said Abdullah Bozkurt, a Turkish exiled journalist and founder of The Nordic Monitor, during a webinar on Turkey’s military posturing in the East Mediterranean organized by the ECPM, the only explicitly Christian European party in the European Parliament.

He added that there are many examples of nepotism where Erdogan’s family members or close allies got into legal trouble (which could eventually trace back to Erdogan himself). “In these cases, Turkish President did everything possible to get the people cleared of or to evade charges,” he Bozkurt underlined.

At the conference MEP Peter van Dalen (ECPM) focused on the role of the EU. “Turkey is not a part of Europe, the country’s profile is utterly incompatible with European values,” he said echoing what ECPM has already asked. “EU accession talks with Turkey must formally end,” van Dalen added remmebering that he proposed an amendment in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament to stop the pre-accession funding that Erdogan has been receiving from the EU which was welcomed by the majority of the Committee. “We should instead develop a neighboring policy between EU and Turkey, like we have with other countries,” he also stated.

Dr. Kleanthis Kyriakidis, Assistant Professor at the American University in the Emirates and Dept. Chair of B.A. in Security & Strategic Studies, as well as a retired captain in the Greek Navy, pointed to the islamist sharp turn Turkey took in the last few years, a radical departure from the profoundly secular country it once was. “Erdogan is dangerous and he turned Turkey into a failed, rogue state. He plays the role of the big brother of the Muslim Brotherhood; he islamizes politics, while he politicizes religion ”, Dr. Kyriakidis said, while arguing for a strong stance and a show of force, as well as harsh sanctions imposed on Turkey, saying “appeasement doesn’t work”.