Analyst: Gagauzia Bashkan's arrest provoked reactions in several countries, including Turkey.
The arrest and subsequent conviction of Evghenia Guțul, the Bashkan of Gagauzia, have prompted reactions from several countries, particularly Turkey. Ankara's interest arises from the cultural, historical, and linguistic ties between Gagauzia and the Turkish people, as explained by Global Counsel analyst Alexandr Smotrov on Moldova 1's SCANER show.
Smotrov emphasized that some comments raise doubts about the fully democratic nature of the ongoing procedures and suggest they could be used for political purposes. He also noted that such criticism often comes from countries that employ similar methods in their domestic politics.
"The question is that reactions are surfacing, with some claiming these procedures are not entirely democratic and that they may be used or are being used for political purposes. However, why do those who use similar methods within their own countries make these assertions?" the analyst questioned.
It is worth noting that Evghenia Guțul was sentenced to seven years in prison on August 5 for her involvement in the illegal financing of the former “Shor” party, which was declared unconstitutional in June 2023.
Members of the People’s Assembly passed a resolution stating that they do not recognize the court's decision in the case of Bashkan Evghenia Guțul and do not plan to hold new elections for the position. Instead, the role of the autonomy’s leadership will be temporarily filled by Ilia Uzun, who is Evghenia Guțul’s deputy.
In Russia, the court’s ruling in Guțul's case was labeled "illegal." The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, remarked that “this exemplifies attempts to exert open and illegal pressure on political opponents during the election campaign.” He added, “We observe how the opposition is being systematically repressed in the Republic of Moldova.”
Additionally, Salih Yılmaz, a professor at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, expressed on the X network that Turkey should intervene regarding the arrest of the head of Gagauzia, Evghenia Guțul.
