Turkey's Erdogan Faces Possible Historic Defeat As Allies Withdraw Support Over Cost-Of-Living Crisis

Turkey’s upcoming presidential election is gearing up to be a major challenge for the incumbent president, whose popularity has massively declined amid the cost of living crisis. 

What Happened: Amid declining support from his allies, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing what could be his biggest defeat in 20 years as Turkey prepares to elect the next president on May 14. 

As the election draws nearer, tensions are running high in Ankara as Erdogan’s main challenger, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is giving the president a run for his money in what is shaping up to be a closely contested race.

Due to high inflation and the aftermath of twin earthquakes that resulted in the deaths of 50,000 people, the country has seen a significant decline in Erdogan's popularity for the first time in 20 years.

Istanbul barber Hakim Ekinci, a long-time supporter of Erdogan, told Reuters that he wouldn’t be voting for the president next Sunday, blaming the government’s economic policies that have weakened the purchasing power of Turkish citizens and made it difficult for many to afford essential food items.

“I’d say those responsible are the ones governing us," he said.

See Also: Turkey’s Erdogan Says ‘Need To Teach America A Lesson’ After US Envoy Meets Opposition Presidential Candidate

Another Istanbul resident Halime Duman said people raising prices to make bigger profits were to blame for the soaring cost of living. “(Erdogan) can solve it with a flick of his wrist.”

An author and an independent political analyst, Birol Baskan, said even “hardcore” Erdogan supporters could not deny that the economy is not performing as well as it did during the earlier years of his leadership.

See Also: Turkey’s Erdogan Says Election Triumph Will Give ‘Message To The West’ In Barb At US

Why It Matters: In April, the food prices in Turkey jumped by over 50% year-on-year, while headline inflation, which peaked in October at 85.5% under Erdogan’s leadership, dropped to 43.7%.

Since the general elections in 2018, annual inflation has been in double digits for nearly five years. It began to surge after a currency crisis in late 2021, triggered by the ruling government's unorthodox views on interest rate cuts.

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