Six million citizens, who will vote for the first timeit is estimated that they will essentially decide whether to extended his stay President Erdogan in power for third decade or if something will happen that they have never known – Turkey to be under a different leader.
Less than 12 months left until the most important, perhaps, elections in the modern history of the country and a large majority of young Turks say they want changebut somehow they remain cautious on whether the opposition can improve the situation in the area of employment, education and freedoms such as freedom of speech.
As reported by the Athens News Agency, with 12% of the voters in the presidential and parliamentary elections, which are scheduled for in June 2023be young, this age group will play a decisive role as expected tough fight for prevalence that will be given by Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK), pollsters predict.
From interviews with approx 12 Turks aged 18 to 23 years from metropolitan Istanbul to central Anatolia, it follows that the justice, immigration, the positions work with meritocratic criteria and the transparenteconomic policies are the issues that concern them the most.
“I’m not completely happy with my decision, but I think I’ll choose the non-optimal (and support the opposition),” says 19-year-old Damla, a history student in Istanbul, who declined to give her last name.
Economic turmoil and rising inflation have increased her living expenses even though she lives with her family and does not go out with friends as often as before.
“I feel like I’m not livingjust trying to survive. If the AK Party loses this election, the new government will have to continue to feel the pressure of the people on it,” he says.
The polls are changing, but they show that Erdogan will lose the election and that his party will lose its independence in parliament.
However, an informal opposition alliance has not announced a presidential candidate and failed to win over any young voters as the authoritarian Erdogan has recorded a winning streak since coming to power in 2003.
The president moved a traditionally secular society in an Islamist direction, he transformed it Turkey into a regional military force and used the courts to suppress dissenters.
He now faces a tough electoral contest largely because of his own unorthodox economic policies, including interest rate cuts that sent the pound to record lows and inflation to a record high – 78.62% – in June.
“Motivation”
The so-called “Generation Z“, the young Turks who were mostly born after the turn of the new millennium, numbers about 13 million of the 62.4 million Turks who are expected to vote next year, according to data from the Statistical Service and polling companies.
Six million Turks will be eligible to vote for the first time.
Head of polling company Gezici – “80% of this generation will not vote for the AKP”
THE Murat Gezici, The head of the polling company Gezici says young voters are generally annoyed by the government, but don’t have a specific ideology or fully trust the opposition.
The firm’s polls show that Gen Z voters, ages 18 to 25, strongly oppose suppression of their lifestyle, freedom of expression and media: “80% of this generation will not vote for the AKP”says Gezitsi.
Yusuf, 18, another first-time voter, says most global economies have been hit hard in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
“I think the leader of our country right now is the best and most suitable leader…I will vote for AK because he is making plans to make the people more comfortable. The economy may not be in good shape, but that happens in all countries,” he says.
The youth unemployment rate in the country stood at 20% in April, official data show. The average in OECD countries is 10.87%.
Pollsters say the motivation of young voters is a wild card, adding to the difficulty of predicting the election outcome.
It could depend on who a group of six opposition parties, which have agreed on a common policy, chooses to stand up to Erdogan.
“Young people want changesays Mehmer Ali Kulat, the president of MAK Consulting, whose survey showed that 70% of voters aged 18 to 29 support the opposition.
He says that younger voters tend to compare their economic outlook with their peers from other countries, while older voters are more interested in investing in infrastructure such as roads and hospitals.
21-year-old Elin says her living conditions have worsened because of government policies, so she will vote for the opposition. However, he is concerned that the opposition’s proposals may not effectively address the problems of current immigration policy or minority rights.
“I believe that a change in power will at least solve the urgent issues,” he estimated, speaking to Reuters by phone from Ankara.
Source: News Beast
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