Fresh polls: People angry about mayors switching to AKP

Public Discontent Grows Over Mayors Switching to AK Party
Survey finds 65% of voters disapprove of defections, while new polls show tight race between CHP and AK Party ahead of 2025 elections.

Public reaction to a recent wave of mayors defecting to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has been overwhelmingly negative, according to new data released by Gündemar Research.

The survey found that 65% of respondents disapprove of mayors changing parties to join the AK Party, while 70% said the move made them unhappy. Disapproval was strongest among opposition voters but extended well beyond partisan lines.

At the Balıkesir Book Fair, Gündemar founder Prof. Dr. Tamer Bolat presented the findings during a panel titled “The Pulse of Society, the Mirror of Politics.”

“When asked about how they feel regarding these defections, 85% of people report negative emotions,” Bolat said. “Psychologically, this is a worrying sign for social cohesion.”

Unity Beyond Politics, Division Within

Despite widespread polarization, Bolat noted that Turks continue to unite on issues they perceive as “above politics.” As an example, he cited public attitudes toward Gaza.

“When we asked citizens if they felt sympathy toward Israel, only 6% said yes,” he explained. “The public remains unified on certain moral issues, even as it divides sharply on others.”

Bolat added that concerns over foreign policy and the handling of the Abdullah Öcalan issue remain high:

“The public views the government as unsuccessful in foreign affairs. Support for Palestine remains strong, but 75% believe the country is moving in the wrong direction.”

In local polls conducted in Balıkesir, residents said they wanted more cultural and social programs, and they largely blamed the central government—not municipalities—for economic hardships.
Among local districts, Ayvalık was rated the most livable, while Dursunbey ranked as the most problematic.

MAK Poll: CHP Leads, AK Party Close Behind

In a separate nationwide poll conducted by MAK Consulting in October 2025, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leads with 31.2%, narrowly ahead of the AK Party at 30.8%.

The survey — conducted face-to-face across 52 provinces, including 24 metropolitan cities, with 6,400 participants — measured current political preferences.

📊 Voting Intentions if Elections Were Held Today

• CHP: 31.2%

• AK Party: 30.8%

• DEM Party: 7.8%

• İYİ Party: 7.1%

• MHP: 6.9%

• Yeniden Refah Party (YRP): 4.2%

• Victory Party: 2.1%

• Felicity Party: 1.1%

• DEVA Party: 1.0%

• BTP: 1.0%

• Key Party: 1.1%

• Others: 1.2%

Undecided voters: 4.5%
Voters who said they would not participate or would cast a protest vote: 23%

The results indicate that the CHP–AK Party gap remains within the margin of error, with DEM and İYİ Party polling around 7% each, and MHP and YRP closely matched in the 6–7% range.

Presidential Polls: Erdoğan Maintains Lead, İmamoğlu Gains Momentum

Meanwhile, Ada Research’s October 2025 “Political Agenda Survey” shows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan leading the presidential race with 43.9%, followed by Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş at 24.2%, and CHP Chair Özgür Özel at 11.8%.

Other results include:

• Selahattin Demirtaş: 10.5%

• Yavuz Ağıralioğlu: 3.0%

• Fatih Erbakan: 2.8%

• Ümit Özdağ: 2.2%

• Müsavat Dervişoğlu: 1.0%

• Mahmut Arıkan: 0.7%

However, a separate two-candidate scenario from HBS Research yielded a striking result:
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu led with 58.7%, compared to Erdoğan’s 41.3%.

While the government has dismissed opposition calls for early elections, the surveys underscore growing voter fatigue and political volatility across the country — as shifting alliances and party defections test both public trust and political stability.