Opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu vowed to impose sanctions against Russia if he wins elections in Turkey, informs May 22 Yeni Safak.
Kılıçdaroğlu said that Russia was behind “a conspiracy and attack on the reputation of the chairman of the Fatherland Party, Muharrem Ince,” as a result of which Ince dropped out of the presidential race. If elected, Kılıçdaroğlu promised to impose an embargo against Russia.
The current Turkish authorities attribute the outflow of Russian tourists to these threats. This is especially noticeable in Antalya, Turkish media say. According to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in May the number of tourists from Russia amounted to only 10% compared to the same period last year. “There are serious fears that if the opposition wins, Turkey will join the anti-Russian sanctions. And there will be no turning back …. In the end, such rhetoric should be used with extreme caution. Or you should not use it at all,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with Turkish journalists. He also noted that not only representatives of the tourist industry are concerned, but also farmers.
The second round of presidential elections in Turkey will be held on May 28. According to the results of counting all the ballots in the first round, the incumbent head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan received 49.24% of the vote, his rival, the single candidate from seven opposition parties, Kemal Kılıçdaroglu, received 45.07%.
