This is the picture of depoliticisation!

Politics Service

Politics in Türkiye has for a long time been confined to a narrow space. While the one-man regime shapes the political field through repression, judicial interventions and security-based policies, the opposition has not been able to fully reverse the defensive position it has been pushed into in the face of these attacks.

Despite the ruling power’s declining social support amid a crisis of governing the country, the opposition has not been able to fully take on the people’s demand for change.

This deadlock in politics continues to give the government room to manoeuvre.

This picture is also reflected in opinion polls. According to a recent survey by Area Araştırma, voter preferences have been stuck within a certain band almost since the summer. According to the research, CHP, which rises from time to time and maintains its claim to be the leading party, is in the 30-32% range while AKP, which is losing public support day by day but manages to hold its vote share particularly in rural areas, is holding in the 29-31% range.

For the regime’s partner MHP this figure fluctuates between 6.5 and 8.5 while DEM Parti is progressing steadily in the 9-10% range. This is not only the case in Area’s polling, it appears in almost all surveys in a similar way. The fact that the vote shares of the ruling party AKP and CHP, which is in the position of the country’s leading party, have not shown a clear change for a long time stands out as one of the clearest indicators of stagnation in Turkish politics.

THE DEAD END OF DEFENSIVE POLITICS

One of the most important headings shaping the opposition’s current situation is a view of politics limited to responding to the government’s moves. Although a good performance has been shown in the face of trustee appointments, judicial operations, pressure on the media and interventions in election law, an approach capable of encompassing the people’s demand for change has not yet been put forward.

In a political scene reduced to action and reaction, the opposition struggles to set its own agenda and social demands cannot be carried to the centre of politics. The relatively stable vote shares of AKP and CHP show, on the one hand, that the government has been unable to produce new social consent despite all the resources of the state and, on the other hand, that the opposition has also been unable to create a break-out that would overturn this picture. The most important outcome of this squeeze in politics is that people’s demands are being made invisible.

THE AGENDA DOES NOT CHANGE

Yet field research also shows that society’s agenda is extremely clear. The economy, cost of living, unemployment and the demand for justice have long remained at the top. With the latest minimum wage announcement, wages that are being eroded by high inflation, insecure working conditions and justice being pushed aside have become the shared experience of a large part of society.

Despite this, the political field revolving largely around leaders, alliance balances and tactical manoeuvres further widens the distance between the public agenda and politics. When the economic and social crisis experienced by voters does not find a strong political response, politics continues to be trapped within itself.

WHERE IS THE WAY OUT?

As also seen during the 19 March period, the way out of this political squeeze lies in building a political line that goes beyond defensive reflexes and puts the people’s concrete demands at the centre. Unless the main problems, especially the economy and justice, are taken beyond electoral arithmetic and unless people’s demands are carried directly into the political field, this picture does not seem likely to change.

Most recently, with operations targeting celebrities, the continuation of intimidation policies carried out by the regime, agendas presented to the public as if they were entertainment news and “solution” headings imposed from above, politics remains stuck in place. A question remains on the table about changing this picture.

Will the existing social demands, especially those of women, young people, workers and pensioners who make their objection to the regime clear at every opportunity, be able to become the founding force of politics again or will the narrowing political field continue to suppress these demands even further?

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Siyasetsizliğin tablosu bu!, published in BirGün newspaper on December 26, 2025.