Experts: relations between Moscow and Ankara will strengthen after the elections

Read on the website Vestnik Kavkaza

According to the results of the parliamentary elections in Turkey, the pro-presidential Justice and Development Party (AKP) received about 50% of the votes and won the elections. It received 316 seats, the AKP will be able to form a government on its own. Despite many predictions that foretold the party was unlikely to claim victory, it has managed to significantly improve its result (an additional 8.4% of the vote) in comparison with the June elections. The Republican People's Party (CHP) also managed to improve its results a little and received 25.4% of the votes. Nationalists from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) lost support of the population and received 12% in comparison with the 16.2% that they received in the June elections.

The pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DPN) significantly worsened its results and received 10% of the vote. Its previous result was 13%.

The election results will have a major influence on how Turkey will build relations with Russia. Turkish political analysts commented for Vestnik Kavkaza on this topic.

According to political analyst Hussein Altynalana, the results of the elections became a surprise, contrary to all predictions. No one expected such a large number of votes for the ruling party. It can be explained by the people’s desire to find stability both within the country and abroad.

"We can say absolutely all the parties lost the elections: the CHP, the MHP, the Kurds, the bourgeoisie, the Westerners and others. There is no doubt that the United States, Great Britain, Israel, Iran and Assad’s regime are not satisfied with the results. We can say that the Kurdish DPN party with its militant politics also lost the elections. The elections showed that the people supported the policy of the Turkish authorities and the policy to fight terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),’’ the expert said.

An expert on international relations, Talat Cetin, said in his turn that the results were not a surprise for him. "This is a natural reaction of the people for the right to receive full stability in the country,’’ he said. According to him, these results of the parliamentary elections will be beneficial for Russian-Turkish relations. "In this regard, I can say that the unfinished project ‘Turkish Stream, the fight against terrorism, relations within the SCO will have mutual and beneficial cooperation between Russia and Turkey. As for the economy, the trade turnover will reach the planned $100 billion," the expert said.

Another prominent Turkish political scientist, Tonzhu Tosan, was sure of the validity of the results of the elections. "Certainly, the results became a real surprise. But there is a logical explanation. It is clear that the Conservatives from the Kurds voted for the AKP. It is possible to see among nationalists, who gave about 40% of their votes to the ruling party. The nationalists’ behaviour promoted this after the elections on June 7th, as a coalition government was not formed after the first elections on June 7th due to the fault of the IPA. It seems to me that some of their supporters decided to punish their party and voted for the party of Davutoglu," Tonzhu Tosan said.

Commenting on relations between Russia and Turkey, he noted that the two countries have many things in common, which is why their relationship will be strengthened.