A recent survey conducted by the Yöneylem Social Research Center reveals that 59 percent of participants believe Turkey is poorly governed, with 40 percent saying no political party is capable of solving the country’s problems.

The “Turkey Politics Survey,” conducted from September 13 to 16, included 2,100 participants.

Respondents ranked Turkey’s top issues, with the economic crisis taking the lead at 56.9 percent. Inflation, the cost of living and financial hardship followed at 26.1 percent, while injustice and the legal system were named by 19.7 percent of respondents. Education problems and the presence of Syrian and Afghan refugees rounded out the top concerns.

When asked who they would vote for if a parliamentary election were to be held this Sunday, 24.3 percent of respondents said the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), while 27.9 percent backed the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Other parties included the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which polled at 7.7 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively. A significant 12.2 percent of respondents said they were undecided, and 7.3 percent stated they would not vote at all.

When undecided voters and non-voters were redistributed, the AKP’s support increased to 30.2 percent, while the CHP’s rose to 34.7 percent. DEVA and the MHP saw modest gains, polling at 9.6 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively.

The survey highlighted that 20.5 percent of undecided voters lean toward the AKP, with 17.8 percent showing a preference for the CHP. The MHP and DEVA followed with 7.8 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.

Additionally, among those undecided voters who cast ballots in the May 14, 2023 election, 38.9 percent voted for the AKP, 17.8 percent for the CHP, and 7.8 percent for the MHP. A smaller percentage backed the Green Left Party, the İYİ (Good) Party, and other smaller parties.

Dissatisfaction with political leadership

Forty percent of respondents said no political party could solve Turkey’s problems. When asked which party could tackle the nation’s challenges, 23.5 percent said the AKP, while 23 percent named the CHP.

Regarding the state of governance, 59 percent of respondents said Turkey is poorly managed, with only 17.4 percent believing it is well governed. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s approval ratings also reflected dissatisfaction, with 28.7 percent rating his performance as successful, compared to 43.9 percent who found him unsuccessful.

The survey also addressed the possibility of early elections.

Over half of respondents, 54.1 percent, expressed support for holding an early election, while 37.7 percent opposed the idea, and 8.2 percent were undecided or had no opinion.

When asked about Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek’s ability to resolve the country’s economic problems, 68.3 percent of respondents said they did not believe he could address the issues, while 19.8 percent expressed confidence in his policies.