The fight against "hitmen of global imperialists" was among the highlights of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's election manifesto speech earlier this week, and the president Wednesday further elaborated on the importance of the elections for the West.
"Türkiye will send a message to the West" through the country’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, which not only the West but also the Islamic world is closely following, Erdoğan said in a televised interview.
"The West has plans regarding Türkiye. You are currently viewing the situation of (French President Emmanuel) Macron. What is behind the scenes of Macron's trip to China? What is the situation in its (France’s) relations with America? Why did Macron go to China?" Erdoğan asked.
Referencing a recent survey that suggested that far-right leader Marine Le Pen would beat Macron if last year's presidential elections were repeated, Erdoğan said: "Le Pen is now ahead of Macron ... How did it happen? It means there is a change in the survey results."
Stressing that the West is against him, he added that the Turkish people will give the necessary response on May 14. "Türkiye will send a message to the West with this election ... This country does not care what the West says, neither when fighting terrorism nor in determining its economic policies," he added.
Under Erdoğan's leadership, Türkiye made strides in improving ties with the West, especially Europe, whose European Union has long remained an ambition for the country. Yet, Western countries' changing attitudes toward his government frustrated Erdoğan, who has been vocal in his criticism of particularly the support for groups recognized as terrorists by Türkiye.
Most recently, he fiercely criticized the United States for its open support of the PKK terrorist group's Syrian wing, the YPG, in Syria's northeast, under the guise of "fighting Daesh."
Türkiye's ties with Western countries are also somewhat strained as the country seeks to cut off its dependence abroad on the defense industry to ensure its security, particularly against terror threats. An F-16 sale deal with the United States still lags while the country strives to boost its arsenal with domestic products.
Erdoğan said during the interview that the projects in the local defense industry will continue.
Speaking about the TCG Anadolu, Türkiye's largest warship and the world's first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) carrier, he said it has enabled Türkiye to propel to "a very different place" in the world standard.
"We are taking another step. We are now having talks. We will build a bigger one than this," he added. The warship was delivered to the country's navy on Monday. Built at Istanbul-based Sedef shipyard, the ship can carry helicopters, drones, land vehicles, light aircraft and personnel.
Turkish Bayraktar TB3 UCAVs, Kızılelma drones and Hurjet light attack aircraft can land on and take off from the ship. With a length of 231 meters (758 feet) and a width of 32 meters, the full load displacement equals some 27,000 tons.
