Erdogan as a Candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize: What is Being Discussed in Turkey

Representatives of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party are in favor of nominating their leader and state president Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, Hürriyet newspaper reported on Friday.

According to the publication, this issue was raised at a meeting of the party's executive committee. “Our president does not need the Nobel Peace Prize, but if it was awarded in due time to former U.S. President Barack Obama, then for the efforts Erdogan is making to ensure peace in Ukraine, our president deserves the Nobel Prize,” said party executive committee member Sunay Karamak.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has supported the initiative to award Erdogan the Nobel Prize. “Obama, who essentially did nothing, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize just for his efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue. However, our president has done much more, thus he deserves the Nobel Prize,” the newspaper quoted Cavusoglu.