Kemal Özkiraz, Chairman of the Center for Eurasian Opinion Research (AKAM), evaluated the current politics and the change in voter preferences. Sharing their research during the coronavirus (Kovid-19) epidemic process, Özkiraz pointed out that the government not being able to create a 'pandemic economy' has reflections in the society.

 

Pointing out that the satisfaction of the economy is around 20 percent, Özkiraz said: "77 percent of the citizens are 'currently experiencing an economic problem because the economy was not managed well before the epidemic'. While the ones who say "My income has decreased" are 50 percent, the ones who say "My income has increased" are only 3 percent. People are focused on the economy-related part of the pandemic rather than their health. And the economy is not good at all. That's why we can observe that the government has serious loss of votes."

 

TRUST FOR AKP-MHP BROKEN

 

Speaking about the early election calls and expectations, Özkiraz said: "According to our surveys, the government is not likely to go on early elections. Their surveys shows the same result to, as we hear. Because the vote rate of AKP- MHP alliance is around 43%. Those who says 'I will vote for Erdoğan' is around 41%. And the fact that they want 40+1 system instead of 50+1 indicates that there is a serious problem.

 

 

APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES

 

Evaluating the appointment of trustees to the municipalities under the leadership of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) as a disgrace and and indication of burnout, Özkiraz said: "Those who constantly speak about coup plotting are usurping municipalities and appointing trustees. They are fantacising about municipal police staging a coup via municipalities. These people entered the elections with the approval of the state and voters have voted for these people apporved by the state."

 

SOCIAL OPPOSITION TARGETED

 

Özkiraz stated that the criminalization of HDP will not decrease their votes and that AKP does not have such a target, and pointed out that the main target is social opposition. Özkiraz said: "His main motivation was to putting the entire opposition together into a bag with HDP and consolidate his own voter base and prevent his base from voting for other parties."

 

YOUTH VOTES FOR HDP

 

Özkiraz stated that three quarters of the newly voting  youth participating in the election system voted for the opposition parties and that the young people were not affected by the black propaganda against the opposition. Özkiraz said: "40 percent of the CHP votes come from the young voters in their 25% voter base while 30- 35% of the HDP votes comes from the young voters in the 10-11% voter base. As such, demography is constantly developing for CHP and HDP, but mostly for HDP. Young people has a wider view towards the world. Young people vote for HDP because they see HDP as the left of the left. According to many young activists, CHP is at a social democratic central party. Therefore they vote for HDP even though they are not Kurdish.

 

COUNTRY ALLIANCE

 

Özkiraz, evaluating the effect of the call İYİ Party President Meral Akşener made, which she defines as the 'Country Alliance', said: "If the country is the whole country, excluding HDP from it will leave it incomplete. You can't call it the country alliance, you can call it the Turkish alliance. If it is the Country Alliance, the country should be present at that table.If you exclude a party represented by a rather crowded community, that table will have 3 legs and won't stand, like Bahçeli said."