Trump did not expect defeat – Turkish expert

The Republicans in the United States have suffered a defeat that no one had expected.

International relations expert Damla Taskin made these remarks in an interview with TodayPress TV.

She noted that the US Congress consists of two chambers – the House of Representatives and the Senate. Although Democrats were expected to take control of the House of Representatives, the likelihood of them also securing a majority in the Senate was not considered high. However, the latest results show that Democrats have also gained a majority in the Senate, with a 54–44 lead.

The question is: what does this change?

“As you know, Donald Trump had extensive powers. His veto power remains in place. However, he will no longer be able to pass legislation or introduce bills through Congress, shape the budget, or allocate separate funding to maintain ongoing agreements. Furthermore, he will be unable to appoint judges or ministers. In other words, his hands are tied, and he has effectively become what is known as a ‘lame duck’. This means that the influence of the Republican majority in the United States over ongoing wars and conflicts will diminish”,- the expert said.

Damla Taskin also pointed out that Texas, which has long been considered a Republican stronghold and a bastion of Trump’s support, has come under Democratic control for the first time. In addition, a Muslim senator has been elected to Congress in Michigan for the first time.

“Looking at all these developments, we can see that Donald Trump and the Republicans have suffered a major defeat, and this situation could gradually become even more pronounced in the period ahead. Naturally, one of the most significant possible consequences is the launch of impeachment proceedings. If the impeachment process begins, Democrats, who currently hold the advantage, are highly likely to put forward such a proposal. An investigation into Trump in connection with impeachment could also be launched. This could lead to new decisions regarding the ongoing war with Iran”,-she said.

According to the analyst, a major challenge lies ahead for Trump and the Republicans. We may witness a confrontation between the two political forces in the United States. It appears that America’s domestic political problems will receive increasing attention on the international agenda. Naturally, the international implications of this confrontation will also affect our region.

How, then, will these political changes affect Türkiye-US relations?

“When Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara, he indicated that he could make significant concessions to Türkiye on the F-35 and CAATSA issues and initiate a process in that direction. Naturally, this was an encouraging statement for us. However, one point should be recalled: this process began in 2017, during Trump’s first presidency, and continued under Joe Biden. Yet Biden was a Democrat.

As for whether this decision could be reversed after Democrats come to power, we should question that possibility to some extent. If abandoning this decision had been possible, Biden could have done so as well. For this reason, I do not expect any major progress on this issue”,-she said.

Nevertheless, the expert believes there are grounds for some optimism. She noted that the presence of Abdullah Sayed, the first Muslim senator, could contribute to the development of relations with Türkiye, as well as ties with the Middle East and other Muslim-majority countries.

Aysel Matlab