How did the AKP votes change in the provinces with the highest income increase?

Despite the rising cost of living in the country, it was argued that the sharp rise in prices was not reflected in the poll results, as the AKP was the party that won the most votes in Parliament; This issue was at the forefront of the post-electoral debates.

Having won 295 deputies with 42.56 percent of the nationwide votes in the 2018 elections, AKP received 44.3 percent of the nationwide votes in 2019. In the 2023 elections, it was able to win 266 seats in the Assembly with 35.41 percent of the votes. While AKP’s votes decreased by 7.15 points compared to 2019, it lost votes in almost all cities.

However, when one examines the 10 provinces where rental prices have increased the most, it can be seen that the AKP’s vote loss has increased in these provinces compared to the 2019 local elections.

According to the results of the general provincial council, the AKP’s votes fell in the range of 8 to 17.4 points in the provinces with the highest income increase.

While the largest melt was seen in Kayseri, it was followed by Malatya and Trabzon.

Change in votes received by AKP in 10 provinces with the highest income increase (%) (Based on the results of the Provincial General Assembly) (Source: BETAM, YSK)

17.43 POINT DECREASE IN AKP VOTES IN KAYSERİ

According to the latest data from the Bahçeşehir University Center for Economic and Social Research (BETAM), the 10 provinces where rents increased the most in April 2023 were Trabzon, Malatya, Ordu, Ankara, Denizli, Kayseri, Adana, Istanbul, Antalya and Mugla.

While rental housing prices across the country increased by 117 percent annually in April 2023, the largest increase was experienced in Trabzon in the same period; The increase in this province reached 300 percent.

The AKP, which received 56.42 percent of the vote in the local elections on March 31, 2019 in Trabzon, reduced this vote to 47.88 percent in the elections on May 14.

Malatya, which was hit by the earthquakes on February 6, became the province with the second highest rent increase according to the latest data. In this province, the rate of votes received by the AKP decreased by 14.39 points compared to the 2019 elections. In the city, which received 59.55% of the votes for the AKP in 2019, this rate dropped to 45, 16% after May 14.

Among the provinces with the highest rent increase, Kayseri was the province where support for the AKP declined the most.

In Kayseri, which was the province with the sixth highest rent increase in April, the AKP’s votes fell 17.43 points to 40.59 percent.

Source: BETAM

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The 2019 local elections were also recorded as the elections in which the AKP lost Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya.

In Istanbul, where rental prices have risen 117 percent in the past year, the AKP, which received 45.58 percent of the vote in 2019, cut its votes to 35.77 percent on May 14, 2019. 2023 in this city.

According to the latest data, in Ankara, the 4th province with the highest rent increases, the AKP votes fell 8.9 points compared to the 2019 elections; In Antalya, the AKP vote fell from 34.35 to 28.53 percent. According to the latest data, Antalya was the ninth province with the highest rent increase.

THE ONLY CITY THAT HAS INCREASED VOTES DESPITE HIGH RENT…

On the other hand, in Ordu, where the third highest rent increase was experienced, the AKP votes fell to 45.27 with a decrease of 10.19 points compared to 2019; In Ankara, where the 4th largest rent increase was experienced, AKP votes fell 8.9 points.

Adana was the only province in the top 10 in terms of rent increase and the AKP was able to increase its vote. Having received 25.50 percent of the vote in the 2019 local elections in this province, the AKP increased its vote to 30.37 percent compared to the May 14, 2023 elections.