Survey: 45% of AKP Voters Say “The Economy Is Bad or Very Bad”
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Public opinion on Turkey’s economic outlook continues to worsen, including among supporters of the ruling bloc. According to the May edition of The Turkey Report conducted by Can Selçuki, 45% of respondents who voted for the AKP say the economy is “very bad” or “bad” — up from 39% in April.
AKP and MHP Voters Growing Pessimistic
While negative sentiment among AKP voters rose by 6 points in just one month, MHP voters showed a slight improvement. In April, 50% of MHP supporters described the economy as “very bad” or “bad,” but this dropped to 46% in May.
Overall, nearly half of Cumhur (Republic) Alliance voters now view the economy in starkly negative terms.
Majority Expect the Economy to Worsen
Perhaps even more concerning is the outlook for the future. The report shows that 53% of all respondents believe the economy will worsen over the next year — a 4-point increase from March. Only 21% believe things will improve, while 26% expect no change.
Yavaş Tops the Leaderboard in Public Trust
Despite growing pessimism, the poll also measured political ratings. Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş was rated the most successful politician, scoring 5.4 out of 10. He was followed by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and President Erdoğan, both scoring 5.0.
CHP leader Özgür Özel followed with 4.3, trailed by Ümit Özdağ (3.9) and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli (3.8).
CHP’s Lead Narrows Amid Shifting Voter Base
The report also shows a narrowing gap between Turkey’s two major parties. In March, the CHP led the AKP by just over 3 percentage points (before undecideds were allocated). But by May, that lead had evaporated.
According to Selçuki, both the İYİ Party and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party are experiencing a decline in voter defection toward the CHP. For example, 35% of İYİ Party voters said they would vote for CHP in April — that figure dropped to 28% in May. Similarly, there was a 5-point decline among DEM Party voters intending to vote CHP.
Lack of Awareness on PKK Disbandment Process
Another key finding in the report relates to public awareness of the PKK’s reported plans to disband. A striking 65% of respondents said they were unaware of the upcoming PKK congress. Only 10% claimed to be fully informed about the group’s disarmament and dissolution process.
This lack of awareness raises questions about the government’s communication efforts regarding a “Turkey without terrorism.”
Imamoğlu Case: Most Say He Should Not Be Jailed
The Turkey Report also gauged public opinion on the ongoing legal case against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. According to the data, 60% of respondents believe he should be tried without detention. Only 27% support pre-trial detention.
Selçuki emphasizes a concerning gap in legal understanding. When asked why they support pre-trial detention for İmamoğlu, 59% of this group cited the belief that he should begin serving his sentence — even though no final court ruling has been issued.
This, Selçuki notes, suggests a significant portion of the public lacks basic knowledge of judicial procedure.
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