There is:
- Good leaders in bad times: Atatürk
- Bad leaders in bad times: Abdülhamid II
- Good leaders in good times: Süleyman the Magnificent
- Bad leaders in good times: Erdoğan
Türkiye was always poised to be a regional superpower. Defence industry was restarted in the 70s, relatively educated population, secular, in a neighborhood of weaklings, has one of the best military traditions in the world and a strong sense of nationalism.
Despite all these advantages:
- Türkiye hasn't been able to defend its borders against illegal immigration, not only from Syria but Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. There are potentially millions of undocumented refugees in Türkiye, including many criminals, rapists, terrorists, etc.
- PKK/YPG has established a state next door and we are now accepting it as a peace process is underway
- Iran continues to give weapons to PKK, including missiles which have hit our drones. We've done absolutely nothing to oppose Iran's illegal activities
- We aren't doing anything to support Turkmens in Iraq or Syria. Despite sharing a common history and language, we've just completely neglected them.
- Countless mistakes which cost us our economy, F35s, chances of entering EU, etc.
Honestly one of the only good things geopolitcally speaking has been Azerbaijani's victory. That's what happens when a Turkic army is well armed and well motivated. I don't attribute this victory to Erdoğan when he still hasn't been able to wipe out YPG.
Most of what Erdoğan has done regionally has been making TSK a counter balance against Russia in Libya and Syria. But in the end this has just benefited US interests, we've done little to capitalize on these victories. In other words, Erdoğan is no different than Islamist puppets that the US supported in the Cold War.
No one in the region, including Russia, and the US wants a Kemalist regime in Türkiye because for the first time in decades, we'll be focusing on our own interests instead of running errands for others.
If the EU had accepted Türkiye, I would probably have been a supporter of Kılıçdaroğlu or İmamoğlu. But this did not happen.
It was under Erdoğan that Türkiye began to pursue a completely independent policy on the international arena, thanks to which it defends exclusively its national interests. Imagine Türkiye in the EU. Can Ankara pursue such a policy? Obviously not. Look at Hungary and Slovakia. The foreign policy that Brussels is pursuing, for example, regarding the war in Ukraine, judging by their resistance, does not meet the national interests of these two (and not only them) countries. But they can do nothing. Germany and France play leading roles in the EU. To what extent can the national interests of France, Germany and Türkiye coincide? Can Türkiye resist these two (and several other of their yes-men) countries? I cannot imagine it.
The other day, Macron said that since Europe is the basis of security, France takes on the guarantee of the security of all of Europe. Can this chatterbox be trusted? France cannot even solve its problems in Africa.
Whose interests will the French defend, say, in the Eastern Mediterranean? The Christian Greeks or the alien Muslim Türkiye? Or in the South Caucasus, whose interests are closer to them? The Christian Armenians or the Turks?
And in Africa, in Asia, the same thing.
When the Turkish parliament decided to send troops to protect the legitimate government of Libya, I, as a supporter of Turkic unity, was very upset.
But it worked! Türkiye was able to protect the Tripoli government, despite the ridiculous movements of France, defended its interests in Africa, acquiring 2 military bases there, and much more.
The French barely managed to escape from Chad, and the next day Turkish specialists from the Baykar company appeared at the French base.
The interests of Europe more or less often coincide. And how could Türkiye, say, defend Turkish interests in the European Parliament? Are there many supporters of Türkiye there? After the shooting down of the Russian fighter, NATO's refusal to provide Patriot and many other incidents... Where was Europe then, where was France hiding?
There are dozens of such examples.
I consider Erdogan's foreign policy to be very successful. Türkiye has become an influential force in the world.
(I deliberately do not write about the internal politics of Ak Parti, to avoid misunderstandings with our Turkish brothers on the forum)
