Erdogan's delusions

The best indicator to measure the negative effects of the delusions of external grandeur of Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan is the fall of the Turkish lira to its lowest levels in the last ten months. It has accumulated a loss of 2.6% since the beginning of the year, coupled with 36% in the last two years. The reason given by experts is the escalation of military tension in the Syrian region of Idlib, caused by Erdogan's own interests in sending troops and weapons.

In Ankara, criticism of the president is growing because he is engaged in a military strategy in Syria and also in Libya which is a major drain on the country's battered accounts. The economic crisis is reflecting on the daily life of Turkish citizens and their macroeconomics due to the increase in the current account deficit and foreign trade.  

Moreover, foreign investors are fleeing because the fronts opened by Erdogan in Syria and Libya may cause disastrous consequences and because, according to an expert from the German Commerzbank, quoted by the daily Die Welt, "the Turkish president's control over the central bank and the imposition of irrational and populist financial policies are pushing the Turkish currency towards further collapse, aggravated by the reduction of interest rates".  

The loss of value of the lira directly affects the pockets of Turks who are suffering from a price increase in the education sector of 15.11% per year, health of 14.07%, housing of 14.76% and inflation of 12.15% for the fifth consecutive year. Poverty and hunger are said to have risen fivefold in these 16 years of rule by Erdogan's Justice and Development party, which is using the death of several Turkish soldiers in Syria to justify what is seen as a flight forward in order to cover up internal problems.  

Just this week, the Council of Europe highlighted that judicial independence in Turkey has been significantly undermined in recent years and called for urgent action in view of the seriously flawed situation.  

Turkish interference in the conflict in Libya is leading to further violence and deterioration in the chances of reaching a negotiated settlement in Geneva, where attempts are again being made to revive the dialogue table. However, the reality on the ground indicates that Turkey continues to send Syrian mercenaries to Libya with the collaboration of Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Erdogan's ambition in Libya is for oil and the large gas pocket discovered in the Mediterranean, regardless of the instability it is causing, even within the European Union.