Erdoğan also responds to The Economist

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded to the cover article of The Economist called "Turkey's Looming Dictatorship."

The article in the magazine of this week is discussing if the coming elections will be fair and free in Türkiye.

"Mr. Erdogan once likened democracy to a tram journey: When you reach your destination, you get off.

"Under him, elections have seldom been completely fair, but they have been broadly free, with large numbers of voters taking part. The worry this time is that, with Mr. Erdogan fearing defeat, he alights and ensures that the elections are neither fair nor free," says the article.

Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun first responded to this cover article yesterday from his Twitter account.

Erdoğan responded to The Economist today, after performing his Friday praying in a mosque in İstanbul, when replying to the questions from reporters.

When asked what he thought about the analysis in The Economist, Erdoğan first asked the reporter, "First, as a member of Turkish media, do you agree with this interpretation of The Economist?"

He then went on to say, "Is a British journal determining the fate of Türkiye? My people will determine the fate of Türkiye. What my people say will result in Türkiye."

The Economist'in kapağına Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan’dan tepki:
Türkiye'nin kaderini İngiliz dergisi tayin etmiyor. #Erdoğan #İngiliz #haber pic.twitter.com/Yjr1cPiUX5

— ÜLKE TV (@ulketv) January 20, 2023

(PE)