Economic concerns shape election results: Pollsters
ANKARA
Main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) triumph in the local elections over the weekend can be largely attributed to the surge in living costs and soaring inflation, the heads of three of Türkiye’s leading public opinion research firms told daily Hürriyet.
Of the country's 81 provinces, the CHP emerged victorious in 35, followed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) with 24.
Approaching the voting rate of 1977 for the first time, CHP emerged as the leading party after 47 years, with the management of many provinces transitioning to the party for the first time in the history of the country.
Assessing this profound electoral shift in an interview with daily Hürriyet, the three major polling firms underscored the fundamental role of high inflation and retirees' dissatisfaction with their stagnant wages.
Betimar, renowned for its accurate predictions in previous elections, contends that the victory was not so much a result of CHP's success but rather the AKP's failure.
"CHP didn't win. AKP lost, the People's Alliance lost. There was an economic process in the previous election as well, but the voters didn't get that hope," remarked Betimar head Gürkan Demir.
Retirees constituted a significant voting bloc, with a substantial percentage of votes coming from the 45-60 age group, Demir noted, adding that the unmet expectations regarding retirees' pensions fueled discontent and contributed to the electoral shift.
Moreover, the decline in voter turnout to around 78 percent was cited as one of the factors behind the change witnessed at the ballot boxes. Pollsters noted that the segment of voters abstaining from voting were primarily supporters of the People's Alliance comprised of the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Optimar's head, Hilmi Daşdemir, also said that the election outcome was a direct consequence of retirees' dissatisfaction with their stagnant incomes.
Pollsters also expressed that they observed a preference for the opposition among young voters, particularly evident in their support for Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
"Young people displayed a preference for change. The aging faces within the AKP and growing skepticism led young voters to cast protest ballots for opposition candidates,” Daşdemir.
Furthermore, Daşdemir criticized the AKP's lackluster campaign efforts, noting that candidates were often unrecognized by residents in certain areas.
"There was no campaign in some regions, and the presence of AKP’s candidates went unnoticed in many places. They failed to conduct a professional campaign, including in major cities, and were unable to engage voters through advertisements. Meanwhile, their rivals were actively canvassing, resulting in a significant electoral setback."
Hakan Bayrakçı, the head of Sonar company, underscored the Turkish electorate's tradition of using local elections as a platform to express dissatisfaction with the current political landscape.
"It's a 40-year-old habit. Turkish voters view local elections as a warning and utilize their votes accordingly."
Bayrakçı also cited the resignation of CHP's former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as another contributing factor, highlighting the party's failure to surpass the 25 percent threshold during his 11-year tenure.
