Turkish youth participate in the elections (Reuters)
Turkish elections
Dubai – Al Arabiya.net
Published in: May 13, 2023: 08:12 AM GST
Last updated: May 13, 2023: 10:22 AM GST
Although the total number of Turkish voters is 62.4 million, President Erdogan’s fate seems to depend on the position of nearly 13 million voters called “Generation Z” who are going through the election experience for the first time.
At a time when the presidential and parliamentary elections drew attention to the sharp political polarizations and programs of the competing parties, a large and influential segment appeared on the horizon that might play a decisive role in determining the results, which is the “Z” generation.
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-These are the category of young people born in the mid-1990s until 2010, that is, those under the age of 25, and their number is estimated at 13 million, nearly half of whom have never voted in any electoral process.
-The number of those entitled to vote among this category reaches more than 6 million voters, or 12% of the total vote, which is a decisive percentage for any of the candidates.
Who will Generation Z vote for?
While the “Z” generation in Turkey did not know a leader other than Erdogan, who has held the reins of power in his country for nearly two decades, and it is a generation that is naturally inclined to renewal and change.
(AFP)
Therefore, opinion polls indicate that the majority of them are biased towards the opposition parties rather than the ruling alliance between the “Justice and Development” party led by Erdogan and the “Nationalist Movement” led by “Dolet Bahceli.”
However, the votes of this category will go to the opposition candidate Kılıçdaroğlu, which is also not guaranteed.
As for the blurring of the electoral mood of this youth group, it is due to reasons summarized by the Turkish “Gezigi” Research Center, in the search for a democratic system amid disappointment with the economic and living conditions, most notably unemployment.
The polls during the upcoming elections will reflect the attitudes of young people in Türkiye.