In response to allegations made by Turkey’s opposition, Russia has categorically rejected claims of interference in the upcoming Turkish presidential election, according to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov in an interview with TASS on Saturday.
Peskov expressed disappointment at the assertions made by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Chairman of the Republican People’s Party, regarding Russia’s alleged involvement in the Turkish election. The Kremlin official emphasized that no evidence had been presented to support these claims, stating, “The opposition leader was saying that he has proof [of Russia interfering in Turkey’s presidential election]. He still has not presented it. We are confident that he wouldn’t be able to do so because actually it does not exist.”
Furthermore, Peskov affirmed Russia’s commitment to the significant progress made in bilateral relations over the years. He highlighted the extensive cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including tourism, agriculture, trade, energy, transport, and humanitarian ties. The Kremlin spokesperson emphasized the mutually beneficial nature of this collaboration and reiterated Russia’s respect for the choices made by the Turkish people.
In a separate development, Kemal Kilicdaroglu took to Twitter on Thursday, posting a message in Russian urging Moscow not to interfere in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey.
The Turkish presidential election is scheduled to take place on May 14, with incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kemal Kilicdaroglu running as candidates. To secure victory, a candidate must obtain more than 50% of the vote. Otherwise, a runoff election will be held on May 28.
