The Turkish people have begun to realize that the policies of the Turkish dictator Erdogan, who is suffering from some kind of paranoia, will cost them dear and will send the Turkish economy into a tailspin.

The realization comes as Turkey faces a looming threat of losing important markets for its exports, especially the Saudi market after the “boycott Turkish products” campaign has entered a decisive phase, garnering enthusiastic and popular support. The boycott call has brought about an immediate impact, causing panic among the Turkish exporters.

Alarmed by the situation, the Turkish Exporters Assembly, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, and Turkish business groups in various fields have issued a joint statement, calling on the Turkish government to improve its conduct and dealings with countries that serve as top markets for their goods. They have also pointed these countries are not only important in terms of businesses but also tourism as these two sectors are the mainstay of the Turkish economy.

In their statement, they especially mentioned Saudi Arabia whose businessmen pump billions of dollars into Turkey’s real estate market. Also, Saudi tourists spend huge sums of money every year. The Saudi tourists are among the biggest spenders in Turkey and the country used to receive nearly 800,000 tourists annually.

Turkish businessmen as well as financial and economic institutions have the right to object to the folly of their ruler who is obsessed with the colonial Ottoman history, while the Turkish treasury has become largely dependent on the Qatari financial infusion and that will not last long.

When Erdogan said that the presence of his forces in Qatar guarantees the security of the Gulf states, he invited the wrath of the Saudi public who exploded spontaneously in absence of any official instructions, vented their anger through their responses over Erdogan’s repeated insults to the Kingdom.

Today, Saudi citizens turn their faces away when they see a Turkish label on any product. International companies have started looking for an alternative to Turkey to manufacture their products. Saudis know the value of their homeland and are proud of it. They are, therefore, saying no to Turkish products. The point to ponder is what would be the state of the Turkish economy when the boycott continues to bite many major consumer goods?

Erdogan is, in fact, “Sharr-Dogan” or evil-Dogan for his country. He bulldozed Turkey’s political life, destroyed its economy, and damaged its relations with the most important friendly countries, despite knowing that his expansionist ambitions in the Arab countries are just an illusion that will vanish very soon. He is committing stupid political suicide and causing the eventual destruction of Turkey.

– The author can be reached at: habutalib@hotmail.com Twitter: @HamoodAbutalib