The visit paid by the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Republic of Moldova marks an important stage in Moldova’s history and has a special significance – the beginning of a “non-European” epoch, political commentator Alexei Tulbure stated in the talk show “Expertise hour” on TVR Moldova channel.

“To my mind, this visit marks the beginning of a new stage in the country’s history,  of a non-European epoch, and everything, including the visit by a leader that has the reputation of an authoritarian ruler, a new dictator of the East, this blocking of the city according to the worst traditions of nondemocratic regimes, leads to this thought,” stated the analyst, being quoted by IPN.

According to him, the people who live between the Prut and the Nistru Rivers in the past paid tribute to the Ottomans in money, but now they paid tribute through the seven expelled Turkish citizens. “We betrayed these citizens in order to have Erdogan as one who legitimizes this regime and is ready to cooperate with those from Chisinau,” stated Alexei Tulbure.

Vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party Ion Terguță said central Chisinau will be closed to traffic so as to keep people who would eventually protest against Erdogan’s visit to Moldova away. “This does not suit the authoritarian Turkish leader and also the Moldova authorities that want to show they control the situation. Now our country pays for the airs of President Dodon as he wouldn’t have begged support from Erdogan if he hadn’t wanted luxury in the Presidential Building,” stated Ion Terguță.

Socialist MP Grigore Novac said the Republic of Moldova hadn’t been visited by a Turkish official of such a rank since 1994. “We consider Turkey is a rather important partner for the Republic of Moldova, given the investments it brought to our country by different health, social and other kinds of projects,” he stated, noting projects to the value of over US$ 500 million were implemented by Turkey in Moldova during the last few years.