Yes to peace, no to AKP

Politics Service

A survey conducted by the Socio-Political Field Research Centre in 16 provinces in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia between 18-20 May has once again revealed that the primary agenda of the people is the economic crisis. 1504 people were surveyed face-to-face and the public's attitude towards both the economic crisis and the permanent peace process drew attention.

ECONOMIC CRISIS A BURNING REALITY

68.9 percent of the respondents cited the economic crisis and unemployment as Turkey's first priority problem. The Kurdish problem ranked second with 16.4 per cent. According to the version of the same survey conducted in March, the increase in concerns about the economic crisis showed that poverty has deepened its impact on the people in the region.

KURDISH PEOPLE APPROACH CAUTIOUSLY

On the other hand, 71.5 percent of the respondents to the question on the PKK's decision to dissolve and disarm at its congress held on 5-7 May said they found the decision positive. However, the public is more cautious about whether this step alone will be enough to bring peace: Only 36.8 per cent of the respondents said that this decision was sufficient for lasting peace, while 27.9 per cent said it was ‘partially sufficient’.

DEMOCRATIC AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS

The most emphasised demands of the participants were ‘taking democratic and reassuring steps’, ‘working for peace’ and ‘conducting a transparent process’. The release of political prisoners and the constitutional guarantee of education in mother tongue were also among the prominent suggestions. 48.4 per cent of the participants saw the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and 39 per cent saw the AKP and MHP government as primarily responsible. Only 6.1 per cent saw the DEM Party as the main interlocutor of the process. The overwhelming majority of the respondents, 79 percent, agreed that the Parliament should take the initiative in this process.

THE EROSION IN AKP VOTES CONTINUES

While 44.9 percent of the respondents who stated that they voted for the DEM Party in the elections of 14 May 2023, the rate of those who stated that they would vote for the DEM Party if elections were held today increased to 48.6 percent. In the same period, the AKP's vote share in the region decreased from 19.5 percent to 13.6 percent, a decline of 5.9 percent. According to the data reflected in the survey, the public's trust in the ruling bloc continues to decline, while the tendency towards the opposition is strengthening. Politics Service

Note: This text has been translated from the original Turkish version titled Barışa evet, AKP’ye hayır, published in BirGün newspaper on June 5, 2025.