In an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, while referring to the negotiations between Turkey and the Zionist regime for the transfer of gas to Europe, Rasoul Alipour stated: in the next eight months, Turkey will experience very important elections, and perhaps the most important elections of Erdogan’s political life. In addition, 2023 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, and Erdogan has opened a special account on it so that he can continue his political life as president by taking advantage of that occasion.

Saying that Erdoğan hopes that the Justice and Development Party can win the necessary votes in the parliamentary elections as the first party and in alliance with the “Nationalist Movement” Party, he added: He knows that he is facing major challenges inside and outside the country, because the deep economic problems and 70 percent point-to-point inflation, according to the experts, are due to the policies that Erdogan has followed. He has always emphasized that he is a great economist and does not believe in reducing inflation by increasing bank interest.

While explaining Erdogan’s economic approach towards solving the country’s economic problems and his promises to reduce inflation in the coming months, the expert on Turkey affairs said: All eyes are on how Erdogan will be able to save himself from such situation, because in the coming months, the most important issues for the people of Turkey are the economic issues of their country, and people will cast their votes based on that.

Alipour stated that in order to get out of the dire economic situation, Erdogan has tried to reduce tensions in the international arena with players such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and the Zionist regime with which he had political disputes, and continued: It is even said that Turkey wants to negotiate with the Syrian government to reduce the current crisis and the losses it has had due to its policies towards Syria. In fact, Erdogan’s policy is focused on decisive victory in the upcoming elections.

Recalling that in the past elections, we were witness to the verbal tensions between Turkey and some European countries such as the Netherlands, France, Greece and Germany, and this is Erdogan’s trick to gain the support of the nationalists, he added: Such verbal tension was also done with the Zionist regime, but Erdoğan knows that he cannot have a conflict with the Zionist regime in order to improve relations with the United States and other Eastern Mediterranean countries in the current situation; because he thinks that the essence of the Zionist regime is important for the formation of regional coalitions, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Saying that it seems the tactic of verbal tensions in the elections will be advanced by focusing on Greece, the analyst of Turkey affairs noted: In order to improve its political relations with the Zionist regime, Turkey is looking for the transfer of Eastern Mediterranean gas through Turkish-populated northern Cyprus and then Turkey to Europe and thus it will cause Russia’s displeasure by making a joint attempt with the Zionist regime to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. The war in Ukraine has created special conditions in the world, and considering the harsh winter in Europe, Turkey has taken this opportunity very seriously. Ankara has always complained that the countries of the region are trying to bypass Turkey in the Mediterranean gas discoveries, and the Zionist regime, Greece and Egypt had also formed alliances by excluding Turkey.

Alipour continued: The 1900 km long “EastMed” gas pipeline, which was agreed between the Zionist regime, Greece and Cyprus in 2020, was supposed to send the gas under the monopoly of the Zionist regime to Europe through the maritime areas of Cyprus and Greece. This project was proposed years ago and brought criticism that it is very expensive and it will take years to be built, until during the last year, the US officials indirectly and sometimes at the level of the US ambassador in Greece, announced that they would not support the project.

Saying that Turkey considered such positions, which were raised before the war in Ukraine, as a green light from the US to itself, and even in response to that, while criticizing Russia, it supported Ukraine with regard to Crimea, he pointed out: Turkey has always tried to use Russia’s leverage to regulate its relations with Western countries. Russia is also aware of this issue and while understanding Turkey’s conditions, it has welcomed separate relations with NATO member countries in any possible way.

Referring to the negotiations between Turkey and the Zionist authorities for the establishment of the gas pipeline, which is more economical and is only 420 kilometers long, the expert on Turkey affairs said: By trying to become an energy transit center, Erdogan seeks to increase his bargaining power to buy gas from Russia and Iran and increase his power over disputed issues in the region. The transfer of gas to Europe will cause European countries to look at Turkey in a special way, and they will have to give concessions to this country on some issues, including in the Mediterranean Sea, where European countries usually side with Greece in disputes with Greece.

According to the expert on Turkey affairs, tensions between Ankara and Moscow will not go uncontrollably. Although in some subjects they face each other but the two sides maintain their intertwined economic and trade relations. It even seems that Russia is looking to invest in Turkey’s second nuclear power plant and is trying not to affect its relations with that country.