Bekir Ağırdır, the general manager of KONDA, one of Turkey’s leading polling companies, has said even if political parties make election alliances for the general and presidential elections of 2019, this does not necessarily mean that they will easily receive 51 percent of the nationwide vote.
In an interview with the T24 news website on Monday, Ağırdır said around 40 percent of voters in Turkey are not supporters of a political party and vote according to the economic situation of the country.
“For both sides, there is a lot to do to get 51 percent of the vote. It’s not like, ‘OK, we made an alliance, and getting 51 percent of the vote is a piece of cake’,” said Ağırdır.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have already joined forces for the 2019 elections, with MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli saying his party will not field a presidential candidate but will support the candidacy of current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Grand Unity Party (BBP) has also announced it will take part in the alliance with the AKP and the MHP.
On the other side, Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu has called on the other opposition parties to come together under an “alliance of principles,” a proposal that has been welcomed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the İYİ Party.
With a constitutional amendment approved in a public referendum in April 2016, Turkey switched from parliamentary system of governance to a presidential system.