Breaking News Israel strikes Doha

[Sanchez]

Let me remind you that at that point, Erdoğan's party had a two-thirds majority (quorum) in the Grand National Assembly.

And it wasn't a leader's party then like it is now. Nayers were pretty open about it while Erdogan was pushing them to accept.

 

[Iskander]

And it wasn't a leader's party then like it is now. Nayers were pretty open about it while Erdogan was pushing them to accept.

At that time, Turkey was unable to pursue a fully independent foreign policy. However, Erdoğan decided to break this pattern from the very beginning. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) fully supported him. Not a single party member opposed him. And since the party held a majority in the Grand National Assembly, Washington's proposal was rejected. Even though Turkey would have been offered tens of billions of dollars and other benefits had it accepted.
I still believe Ankara made the right choice.

 

[Merzifonlu]

Of the 363 AKP deputies, 264 voted "yes." No one but AKP members voted "yes." So how could Erdoğan have blocked the passage of the parliament? And by the way, Erdoğan somehow purged from his party all the deputies who voted "no" in that vote.

Despite Erdoğan's support, the 367 "yes" vote wasn't reached in that vote. Not because Erdoğan wanted it to.

 

[Sanchez]

Turkey was unable to pursue a fully independent foreign policy.

Turkey rejecting demands to use Turkey as a launchbed for the 2003 invasion(for its benefits and problems) was a case of independent foreign policy.

 

[Iskander]

Turkey rejecting demands to use Turkey as a launchbed for the 2003 invasion(for its benefits and problems) was a case of independent foreign policy.

That's exactly how it was back then. Moreover, the Americans even interfered in Turkey's internal politics!