Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared that Ankara will not surrender to “street terrorism.” He said this after the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) called for protests across the country. Meanwhile, protests are taking place across Türkiye following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan’s opponent.
The power struggle is not uncommon in Türkiye. It has seen numerous military interventions in political life since its founding. There were four military coups, two of which led to a change of government without the military seizing control of the reins of power. Since its consolidation of power under Kemal Atatürk, the military establishment has been the West’s primary guarantor in the region. Those who came to power after 1924, the end of the Ottoman Caliphate, were obedient disciples of the West.
However, on July 15, 2021, a failed coup attempt occurred, followed by numerous changes in the country. When rebels blocked the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, special forces were tasked with arresting Erdoğan, whose arrest was supposed to be the culmination of their coup. In this context, the recent court actions against the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and his colleagues – which include charges of forming a criminal organisation, tender manipulation, fraud, bribery, abuse of power, providing material support to terrorist organisations, and employing their members in municipalities – are a clear indication that the Turkish political landscape is undergoing an internal restructuring.
Erdoğan is fully aware that there are countries working to create chaos in Türkiye to enable them to reposition themselves in the region.
These ongoing protests could serve the interests of foreign forces that are waiting for the downfall of Erdoğan and his party. It is no coincidence that the protests came just days after the Turkish intelligence announced on March 15 the arrest of five suspects of spying for Iran in an operation conducted in three provinces, including Istanbul. According to the investigation, the spies gave information about military bases and sensitive areas in Türkiye and important points abroad to Iranian intelligence. They were suspected to be in contact with elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence service, according to a report broadcast by CNN TURK.
The arrest of the spies coincided with the movements of Assad’s remnants and pro-Iranian groups on the Syrian coast, which strengthened the hypothesis of a connection between these developments, all of which serve the Islamic Republic’s interests in repositioning itself in Syria and opening a corridor for “weapons and money” to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Despite the relationship that both Iran and Türkiye are working to improve, the divergence in their goals in Syria was clear after the meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Hakan Fidan and Abbas Araqchi. There is also a conflict of interests between Türkiye and Russia on Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s message to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the contents of which were disclosed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday, March 20, reveals that “Moscow is committed to and cooperating with efforts aimed at achieving stability in Syria, ensuring its sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity.”
The message is not very reassuring to Türkiye, particularly since it views it as interference in Syrian affairs. While Russia intends to reach a rapprochement with the transitional authority in Syria to ensure continued operations at its two bases, Hmeimim and Tartus. It is also working to contain the Turkish advancement.
Erdoğan senses the imminent danger to his country and is therefore accelerating steps to contain it. He believes that the current turmoil in the region does not require corrupt leaders to come to power, lest Türkiye return to an era of isolationism and strategic retreat.
[by Gerard Deeb in Al Jazeera]
Compiled and translated by Faizul Haque
