TKP leader Okuyan criticizes Kılıçdaroğlu on foreign policy: 'He has adopted a Neo-Ottomanist approach'

In a post on social media, TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan claimed that CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu supported the government's Neo-Ottomanist foreign policy with his remarks, "We must go to the Ottoman geography," during a group meeting.

Kemal Okuyan stated, "CHP's 'Butlan' (Nullity) Branch Chairman Kılıçdaroğlu, in the Group Meeting he held at the Headquarters following the tension in Parliament yesterday, has embraced the government's Neo-Ottomanist policies by saying 'We must go to the Ottoman geography'."

Noting that comments were being made in various media outlets on the same day regarding the possibility of Turkey coming face-to-face with Russia, Okuyan underscored that these developments were not independent of one another.

CHANGING "BALANCE" SEARCHES IN GOVERNMENT AND FOREIGN POLICY

Okuyan argued that since 2023, Turkey has ended its "balance" policy in foreign relations and that the process has entered a new phase with the regime change in Syria. According to him, President Erdoğan, having concluded that the "balanced and bargaining" policy pursued with Russia was increasing pressure from the West, chose to soften relations with the West to overcome economic and political deadlocks. During this period, he handed the economy over to a UK-based team.

The TKP leader said, "The government saw that the benefits of a relative 'balance' policy between NATO and Russia had been exhausted in terms of a Neo-Ottomanist strategy." According to Okuyan, certain circles within the state fell behind in terms of the harmony between bargaining policies and Neo-Ottomanism; meanwhile, the historical ties of Turkish capitalism with the West became the determining factor in the transformation of foreign policy.

In the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it was suggested that although Turkey's cautious policies might have initially appeared neutral, it has played an active role from the beginning through its contributions to Ukraine's armament, but that the conviction that Russia would not be able to gain the upper hand began to gain weight in Ankara, especially after the change of power in Syria.

ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL NEGATIVES IN RUSSIA

Okuyan stated that despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's emphasis that the war was a "surgical operation," the military intervention in Ukraine developed outside of Moscow's expectations. He assessed, "The patient is dead, the surgeon is exhausted. There are positives for the Russian economy, but there are also serious negatives. When we look at all the former Soviet Republics where Russia does not want to relinquish control, there is a picture that would worry Moscow both economically and politically compared to four years ago."

RETURN TO THE ATLANTIC APPROACH

Claiming that the "balance" game the AKP government played within NATO for a time was quickly shelved as Russia weakened, Okuyan argued that Turkey has made new initiatives to increase its NATO role in the Black Sea and has reduced its dependence on Russia by turning to distant suppliers like the US in the energy sector. In parallel, he noted that problems in relations with China have increased.

Another important topic that stood out was Turkey's efforts to integrate its military and defense industry into Europe. Okuyan pointed out that military strategy is moving toward closer cooperation with European states under the name of a "security architecture."

DRAWING A NEW ROUTE IN NEO-OTTOMANISM

Finally, Okuyan said that the government's Neo-Ottomanist line is focused on tension-free expansion in the region with the support of the US and the UK. He claimed that countries such as Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia would want to narrow Turkey's room for maneuver, and that regional competition and tensions would continue.

Okuyan concluded his remarks by saying, "There is talk of Putin's revenge. That may be, but it should not be forgotten that Turkey holds a very important trump card like the Straits. Russia is increasingly being pushed to the east of the Black Sea, and it is clear that an AKP government attempting to interpret or suspend the Montreux Convention differently would have dealt a very serious blow to our northern neighbor."