A majority of respondents in a recent survey conducted by Ankara-based MetroPOLL Research said they view the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) performance in 2025 as unsuccessful across key policy areas, including the economy, refugee policy, agriculture and efforts to combat violence against women.
The survey, conducted between December 10 and 16 across 28 provinces with 1,103 participants, asked respondents whether they considered the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government successful in various policy fields.
More than 70 percent of respondents said the government had failed in several core areas. According to the findings 75.3 percent described economic policy as unsuccessful, while 74.2 percent said the government was unsuccessful in combating violence against women. A total of 74 percent expressed dissatisfaction with agricultural policy, and 71.8 percent held negative views of refugee policy.
In the Turkey’s Pulse survey conducted in December 2025, public evaluations of the government’s performance in health, foreign policy, the economy, agriculture, refugee policy, and combating violence against women were measured. The results are presented for public consideration. pic.twitter.com/7auSdoTJFm
— MetroPOLL Araştırma (@metropoll) January 20, 2026
Opinions were more divided in other areas. While 47.1 percent described health policy as successful, 49.9 percent said it was unsuccessful. In foreign policy, 42.5 percent said the government was successful, compared with 51.9 percent who said it was unsuccessful.
Economic strain weighs heavily on public opinion
The survey results come amid growing public frustration over Turkey’s worsening economic conditions.
The country has experienced double-digit inflation since 2019, sharply driving up the cost of education, housing, healthcare, food and transportation. Annual inflation, which peaked at 85.5 percent in October 2022, has declined to 30.9 percent, according to official data.
Independent researchers dispute those figures. The Inflation Research Group (ENAG) reported annual inflation of 56.14 percent earlier this month, nearly double the official rate.
Despite the downward trend in official figures, rising prices continue to squeeze consumers, especially in essential goods. Many have been forced to alter their spending habits and cut back on basic needs.
The Turkish lira has also lost more than 130 percent of its value against the dollar since mid-2022, with the exchange rate rising from approximately 17.5 to more than 40 lira to the dollar in three years.
Healthcare system under growing pressure
Public unease over health policy reflects mounting strain in Turkey’s healthcare system. Turkey’s doctor-to-population ratio remains well below international benchmarks, with 239 doctors per 100,000 people, compared with an EU average of 402 and an OECD average of 390.
The shortage has led to long waiting times for surgeries, overcrowded emergency rooms and months-long delays for specialist appointments.
Doctors cite heavy workloads, pressure from the centralized appointment system (MHRS), low pay relative to the cost of living and frequent violence in hospitals as key factors driving dissatisfaction within the profession. Physical attacks against healthcare workers are reported almost daily, according to medical associations.
The strain has fueled a growing exodus of physicians. According to the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), 3,050 doctors emigrated in 2023, followed by 2,669 in 2024 and 2,400 in the first 11 months of 2025. In some provinces, officials say shortages have left key specialties, including oncology and pediatrics, with only one specialist or none at all, forcing patients to travel long distances for treatment.
Violence against women remains a major concern
The survey also reflects persistent public concern over violence against women in Turkey, where they are frequently killed, raped or subjected to physical abuse, according to women’s rights groups and monitoring organizations.
Critics say policies of the AKP government contribute to the problem by allowing perpetrators to avoid accountability. Such criticism intensified after Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, formally known as the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.
The convention is an international accord that requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting perpetrators of domestic violence and similar abuse as well as marital rape and female genital mutilation. Despite opposition from the international community and women’s rights groups, President Erdoğan issued a decree in March 2021 that pulled the country out of the international treaty.