Bloomberg Voter Analysis: Older Say Erdogan, Younger Say Opposition

While the May 14 elections were followed with great interest by the international public, Bloomberg, one of the leading US media outlets, published a broad story…

In the news, signed by Bloomberg reporters, who went to different cities in Turkey to take the pulse of voters, the headline was “Erdogan confronts voters angry about years of economic chaos.” According to the survey results, it was stated that it was difficult for Erdogan to win in the first round, and rising inflation and cost of living were also noted to be behind this.

Bloomberg reporters took the pulse of voters in Turkey and Germany.

“Young people are worried about their future”

“From the Bursa market, to the university of Ankara and the streets of Berlin, the focus on Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is changing, and this situation jeopardizes the re-election chance of the powerful president. As workers battle deadly inflation, young people worry about their dark future. Erdogan’s approach is changing, including among expatriates, who are the most supportive of Erdogan.

A citizen named Hasan Çakır, who said that he had voted for the AKP for the past 21 years, said: “We are up to our necks. “Even if he were to die, I still wouldn’t vote for him,” he said. Noting that inflation has increased a lot in recent years, Bloomberg also wrote that Erdogan is behind this situation.

“WE SKIP LUNCH”

While meeting with voters in Berlin, along with Bursa, Eskişehir, Balıkesir and Çanakkale, Bloomberg reporters said: “In interviews, it is seen that voter habits change based on social values, age and income. While older and more conservative voters cling to Erdogan, the poor are losing faith in him. Young voters are the most unhappy,” he said.

Elif Torun, a 21-year-old college student, spoke to Bloomberg. Torun said: “I cannot understand how someone my age still supports Erdoğan. We calculate the cost of our meals and some days we don’t eat lunch so we can save money,” she said.

Bloomberg reported that 6 million new voters have joined since 2018, which corresponds to about 10 percent of all voters.

“WITHOUT MAJORITY BETWEEN EXPERIENCES”

Noting that there is also a distinction between expatriates, Bloomberg said: “Turks who have no expectations for the future in Turkey and flee the country also change the focus of foreign voters. It is known that Erdogan had a clear majority here for a while.”

While it was pointed out that there are Kurdish voters against Erdogan in Europe, it was also claimed that there were many citizens who went to Germany as guest workers in the 1950s.