Erdogan's comments on dissolving parliament in Tunisia 'an unacceptable interference', says Foreign Ministry
April 6, 2022, 7:44 am

Erdogan's comments on dissolving parliament in Tunisia 'an unacceptable interference', says Foreign Ministry

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan/Official Facebook page

The Arab News reported, citing Reuters, Tunisia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that comments by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tunisia’s leader dissolving parliament was “an unacceptable interference” in internal affairs.

The report said that on Monday, Erdogan criticized President Kais Saied’s decree dissolving parliament last week as a “smearing of democracy” and a blow to the will of the Tunisian people.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Tunisia expresses its astonishment at the Turkish President’s statement ... these comments are unacceptable."

It said: “Tunisia affirms its keenness on close relations with friendly countries but adheres to the independence of its decision and rejects interference in its sovereignty."

President Kais Saied (File photo: Facebook page)

Tunisia’s political crisis intensified last week when more than half the members of parliament held an online session to revoke Saied’s decrees. Saied responded by dissolving parliament and imposing one-man rule.

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Anti-terrorism police summoned the main opposition figure, Rached Ghannouchi, who is also Parliament Speaker, and other lawmakers for questioning last week.

Saied’s move was criticized at home and abroad. The US State Department expressed its deep concern while the opposition called for a protest next Sunday in Tunis.

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It shoul be noted that Ghannouchi, who is the head of Islamist Ennahda party, rejected Saied’s decision to dissolve parliament and said other virtual sessions would be convened.

Source: arabnews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.