US must improve its image in Turkey, says a member of the ruling party

Akif Cagatay Kilic, MP and Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee chief, told RT that Ankara is not pivoting to the East, but has major disagreements with the West. Polling shows that 90% of Turkish people view the US as a potential enemy, while three-quarters favor maintaining good relations with Russia. Kilic cited Washington's support for Kurdish militias in Syria and suspicions of US involvement in military coups. Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Erdogan are facing a showdown in Turkey, with Erdogan abandoning the West for stronger ties with Russia and China and Kilicdaroglu reforming the country in the image of Brussels and Washington. Kilicdaroglu insists that his country is not shifting to the East, but is trying to protect its own interests. Turkey's geographical proximity to Ukraine, Russia, Syria, and Iran means it has to seek stable relations with enemies of the US.