Appointment of a new Prime Minister will not result in changes either in domestic, or in foreign policy of Turkey, historian Gevorg Melkonyan told reporters today.
“Persons change, policies don’t. Expecting any changes in Turkey’s foreign policy, especially with regard to its relations with neighbors, is senseless,” expert of Turkish studies Gevorg Petrosyan said, in turn. He believes the new PM will remain under President Erdogan’s influence, and his first statements come to prove this.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday appointed one of his most trusted allies to form Turkey’s new government, in a move seen to help consolidate his hold on power.
Binali Yildirim, the transportation and communications minister and a founding member of the ruling party, was tapped to replace Ahmet Davutoglu who stepped down amid growing differences with Erdogan, including his wish to overhaul the constitution to give the largely ceremonial presidency executive powers.
Yildirim has said he would work to legalize the “de facto” presidential system by introducing a new constitution to that effect.
The appointment of the 60-year-old politician came hours after the ruling party confirmed him as party chairman, and he immediately expressed allegiance to the Turkish leader, vowing to follow his path.Â
Gevorg Petrosyan considers that Turkey will stiffen its foreign policy, especially in the relations with the European Union.
“The main role-player in Turkey remains unchanged, therefore, the general policy line will not change, either, including on Armenia-related issues,” Petrosyan said.
According to Gevorg Melkonyan, “Turkey has chosen the path of solving issues with tougher steps, and an evidence of this is the fact that Turkey increased its military contingent at the Syria border following Davutoglu’s resignation,” he said.
“One can assume that the more Turkey accelerates the military actions with regard to the Syrian and Kurdish issues, the stiffer the policy Azerbaijan will adopt on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement,” the historian said.