Dictators are manipulating Turkey’s elections – the West must step up

While it could be risky to use their economic and diplomatic power to benefit the opposition, they can and should act to prevent other nations from meddling, writes Borzou Daragahi

The West has leverage over Erdogan (AP)

Just a few weeks before the 14 May elections that could decide the future course of Turkey, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan received a ringing endorsement. On 6 March, the same day Turkey’s opposition announced its candidate against Erdogan, Saudi Arabia deposited $5bn (£4bn) in Turkey’s Central Bank, helping to stabilise the country’s currency.

The cash provides little direct relief for those still sheltering in tents and suffering from the impact of Turkey’s devastating 6 February earthquakes. But it does help reduce the bills of government-connected companies with foreign debts, and staves off the impact of Erdogan’s controversial low-interest policies. It raises eyebrows and concerns that the Saudi leadership under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is pushing for an Erdogan election win over the opposition led by Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

“Guess we now know who MBS wants to win the Turkish election,” Timothy Ash, an investment analyst at London-based BlueBay Asset Management, wrote in a note. “Notable that Saudi lending to Turkey comes with no strings attached.”