Ankara Can Now 'Only Dream of Long-Term Strategic Relations With the West'

© AP Photo / Emrah GurelTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan right, wipes his tears during the funeral of Mustafa Cambaz, Erol and Abdullah Olcak, killed Friday while protesting the attempted coup against Turkey's government, in Istanbul, Sunday, July 17, 2016.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan right, wipes his tears during the funeral of Mustafa Cambaz, Erol and Abdullah Olcak, killed Friday while protesting the attempted coup against Turkey's government, in Istanbul, Sunday, July 17, 2016. - Sputnik International
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In an interview with Sputnik, director of the Tehran Research Center of International Relations Abdoulmajid Zavari discussed Turkey's politics and the country's prospects for the future.

Following the military coup attempt that took place in Turkey in the middle of July and was suppressed the following day, the debate arose about what awaits Turkey in the future.

"Cleansings in the Turkish army won't have a positive effect on the situation in the region and the strengthening of security. Ankara will again face threats from the Kurdistan Workers' Party which will surely want to take advantage of the situation and undermine the position of authorities," the expert said.

More than 13,000 people, including 8,900 military personnel, were detained after an attempted coup in Turkey. Following the coup, Erdogan said that he doesn't exclude reinstating the death penalty in the country. In response, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that any moves by Turkey to reintroduce the death penalty would immediately end the country's EU accession process.

"Even if there was a time when Ankara developed a long-term strategy of building strategic relations with the West, the ultimate goal of which was to join the EU, now it can only dream of it. If Erdogan lifts the ban on the death penalty and continues other illegal actions against Turkish citizens, his relations with the West will enter a stage of long-lasting crisis. The president risks quarreling with the EU. But so far there doesn't seem to be any chance that Erdogan will abandon his tough stance toward the opposition," Zavari said.

A soldier protects himself from the mob after troops involved in the coup attempt surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey July 16, 2016 - Sputnik International
Return of the Death Penalty Will Kill Turkey’s EU Accession Bid
According to the expert, undermining the relations with the West could lead to a deep economic crisis in Turkey which in its turn could result in the growing discontent among the public and new protests.

A similar point of view was expressed by political expert Fadi Hakura. In an interview with Sputnik he said that "Turkey is extremely dependent on foreign financial flows" and that the introduction of the death penalty would drastically affect Turkey's economy.

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