Turkey election

Turkey’s presidential election has shed light on the enduring influence of the conservative mindset within the country’s political landscape. Deeply rooted in cultural and religious values, this mindset has shaped the preferences and voting patterns of a significant portion of Turkey’s electorate.

While experts and critics tend to believe that Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slowly chipped away at the pillars of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s secular republic, the Turkish president has increasingly been successful at playing to the gallery and promoting the much yearned trend of preserving traditional values in tandem with development and modernisation. This sentiment is so profound among the Turkish people that it has overshadowed Erdogan’s illiberal and authoritarian direction. During his tenure, President Erdogan implemented increasingly stringent measures to limit freedom of speech and expression, while his administration utilised the judicial system to detain or pursue legal action against political adversaries. His most prominent rival has been Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a former bureaucrat struggling in the shadows for more than a decade. Kilicdaroglu has secured 44.89% votes.

Many, meanwhile, regard Erdogan as a strongman who has bolstered Turkey’s position in global affairs. While populist moves such as converting Hagia Sofia into a mosque to appease Islamic sentiment has managed to gain him immense popularity, Erdogan’s level of support remains polarised. His failure to secure 50% votes — missing the mark by 0.5% — has necessitated a run-off, indicating a divided sentiment among the electorate. This uncertainty is believed to be the result of a series of economic crises that have led to rampant inflation and a deepening cost-of-living crunch in Turkey.

Nevertheless, it is anticipated that Erdogan will secure victory by capturing the 5.17% vote bank of Sinan Ogan, the ultra-nationalist ‘kingmaker’ who came in third. This outcome would result in an extension of Erdogan’s rule for another five years, underscoring the enduring presence of Turkey’s conservative mindset.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2023.

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