Russia Denies Allegations of Interference in Turkish Elections

According to domestic news agencies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Saturday that Russia denies allegations made by Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, accusing Moscow of interfering in the country’s presidential election. Kilicdaroglu had claimed that his party had concrete evidence of Russia’s involvement in the dissemination of “deep fake” online content before the vote on Sunday, where he was the main challenger against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

While Russia has faced accusations of meddling in foreign elections in the past, including in the US, it has consistently denied such allegations. Peskov strongly refuted the claims made by Kilicdaroglu, stating that the accusations of interference in the Turkish election were “out of the question.” The Kremlin spokesman also expressed disappointment with the opposition leader’s statement and said that he would not be able to provide evidence of such interference because it did not actually exist.

Turkey, under the leadership of Erdogan, has tried to maintain a delicate balance in its diplomatic relations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite opposing Western sanctions on Russia, Ankara has close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, its Black Sea neighbors. Additionally, Turkey has provided military assistance to Ukraine in the form of armed drones.