Will EU rhetoric play into Erdogan's hands?

Turkey, as well as the West, knows that the country will not become the EU anytime soon. Therefore, the statements of the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Guenther Oettinger, that Turkey would not join the EU while Erdogan is the president, will only reinforce the negative attitude towards the EU among the Turkish public. That is what a Turkish political scientist, the head of the Center for Turkish-Russian Researches, Aydin Sezer, said in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza.

"After the failed coup, Erdogan keeps his distance from the Western countries and actively criticizes Western governments and institutions. Turkish public meets the President's statements with approval, while he is highly appreciated because of his hardline position in response to the pressure from the West," Sezer said.

According to him, the prevailing view in the Turkish society is that the Western powers were behind the military coup on July 15, and it turns out that statements like those of Oettinger are to Erdogan’s benefit.

"In recent months, there have appeared serious differences between Turkey and Germany, then with Austria, and yesterday with the Netherlands because of the political situation after the coup. In this situation, the statements of the European Commissioner will play into Erdogan's hands and cause an uproar in relation to the EU in the society," the expert stressed.

According to the expert, the negative attitude towards the EU will only increase in Turkey, and the popularity of Erdogan will increase too. "Turkey, as well as Europe, knows that the republic will not become the EU member in the near future, therefore the statement of the EU Commissioner is absolutely pointless," Aydin Sezer concluded.