Konya has had conservative and sensitive voters for many
years. A big surprise is not expected in the presidential election, but it is a
matter of curiosity about how many deputies each party will have.
In Konya, known as one of the strongholds and most powerful
provinces of AKP, no big surprises are expected in the presidential election on
May 14th. However, in terms of the distribution of parliamentary seats, it is
predicted that the ruling party may lose some votes in the province where the most
significant problem for the people, as is the case across Turkey, is the
economic crisis.
Konya, Turkey's province with the largest surface area, has
had conservative and sensitive voters for many years. The voters first
identified with the National Vision line and Welfare Party, and later found
themselves in the AKP, usually voting in line with this ideology during
elections.
In the 2018 general elections, AKP received 59.4% of the
votes in Konya, MHP received 15.5%, CHP received 9.7%, IYI Party received 9%,
and HDP received 3.7% of the votes. In the same year's presidential election,
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received 74.2% of the votes, while Muharrem Ince received
13.7%.
Konya is considered the country's agricultural hub, but in
recent years it has also shifted towards industrial production, and its most
significant problem is the current economic crisis. Whether this situation will
change in the upcoming election in Konya is uncertain, as it depends on various
factors, including the political climate, candidates, and their campaign
strategies, as well as the economic situation in the country. However, given
Konya's history of conservative and sensitive voters, it is likely that the
ruling party will still have a significant influence on the province's election
results.
Will this situation change in Konya, which is considered as
the country's agricultural hub but has shifted towards industrial production in
recent years and is currently facing the biggest problem of the economic
crisis, for the upcoming elections?
According to the information obtained by "DW
Turkısh" from interviews with politicians, journalists, opinion leaders,
and citizens in Konya, as well as their observations in the city, the situation
is that AKP and the People's Alliance are still ahead in the race, but they may
lose some votes.
It is noted that the People's Alliance's list of
parliamentary candidates is not as strong as before, and it is generally
emphasized that the gap between the President and the parliamentary elections
could widen further this time. Erdogan has a higher vote share than his party
not only in Konya but also throughout Turkey.
Kerem Iskan, one of the well-known figures in the city who
has been working as a journalist in the region for many years, says, "If
we consider Konya as one of the strongholds of the AKP, we expect the fortress
to be subjected to such a tough test for the first time."
While the economic situation is shown as the city's most
important problem, it is also stated that the issue of migration and refugees
may have an impact on voting behavior.
According to the public opinion survey conducted by DOUSAM
Strategic Research Center in January, it is striking that 73.4 percent of the
individuals who participated in the survey in Konya stated that the economy has
been following a negative trend compared to previous years when asked to
compare the current economic situation in Turkey.
According to a public opinion poll conducted by DOUSAM
Strategic Research Center in January, when asked to compare the current economic
situation of Turkey to previous years, 73.4% of the participants from Konya
stated that the economy has been following a negative trend. Regarding Turkey's
future economic situation, 66.2% of the participants were pessimistic, while
16.4% were optimistic.
An inflation rate is one of the major concerns in the city,
but also the high demand and the high rental prices for houses, as well as the
difficulty in finding available houses for rent. Another issue is the lack of a
metro system, which makes transportation increasingly challenging for
residents.
Among the people of Konya, the most favored promises or
actions of the parties are the recent defense industry moves of the government,
the natural gas aid to be provided up to a certain percentage, and the 15,000
TL bonus that the presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance, Kemal
Kılıçdaroğlu, promised to retirees for Eid al-Adha.
I am having a conversation with a taxi driver whom I am
riding with about how the election will turn out. Despite struggling economically,
the taxi driver says that he will still vote for Erdoğan, and he likes recent
moves like TOGG. He also says that if the opposition didn't just criticize and
instead supported the government a bit, they might have a chance to win more
votes.
While Turkey is considered the granary of the region, the
lack of obtaining the desired product due to wrong crop selection and unwise
use of underground waters has become a significant problem. Therefore,
Kılıçdaroğlu's promises regarding agriculture are also among the topics
discussed.
According to the effects of drought and wrong agricultural
policies, the underground waters in the Konya Plain, which was the wheat depot
of the country in the 1980s, are gradually decreasing, and as a result, the
number of sinkholes in the region has reached 2,600.