AKP’s votes decrease as opposition rises, Poll says

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Popular support for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has decreased by 5 percent since the 2011 elections, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have seen increases, according to a recent survey.

The survey, which was conducted by polling company SONAR across 26 Turkish provinces with 3,000 respondents, indicated that the AKP’s voter support had decreased from 49.8 percent in June 2011 to 45.06 percent in April 2013, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) maintained its position with a minor increase, with voter support falling from 26 percent at the June polls to 26.09 percent.

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has gained 4.2 percent in polls since the elections, climbing from 13.0 percent to 17.27 percent.

The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) has also increased its votes according to the survey, from 6 percent to 7.09 percent. In fact, the BDP took part in the last election with independent candidates and subsequently formed a group in Parliament due to the 10 percent election threshold.

The polling company linked the AKP’s decreasing vote share to the recently launched “peace process,” which is backed by the BDP but harshly criticized by the MHP and observed skeptically by the CHP.