one month before the Turkish presidential election, the candidates pamper the youth to capture the voices of first-time voters

Capturing the voices of young people, “gençler” in Turkish, is one of the challenges of the presidential election which will take place in a month to the day, on May 14, in Turkey. Opposition candidate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu opens a TikTok channel to talk to him. At 74, the one some call grandpa, has undertaken since the beginning of his campaign to address young people. They represent more than a quarter of the electorate. “I think this is the first time that young people have been taken so seriously, explains Gulçin Erdi, researcher at the CNRS, because Turkey is a very young country in the first place, and there will be first-time voters. And it is very important to convince this electorate who will be voting for the first time.

“It’s an AKP generation, they grew up under the power of the justice and development party. They haven’t seen anything else so far. It’s really a very important issue to be able to convince this electorate. “

Gulçin Erdi, researcher at the CNRS

at franceinfo

Over six million of these young voters will be voting for the first time. To seduce the AKP, the president’s party goes to the neighborhoods to celebrate the birthdays of those who are 18 years old. At the start of the year, Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised them the greenest campaign possible. “I greet you warmly. I send my most sincere feelings to you dear youth, the apple of our eyes, bearer of our future, claimed Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We sent a postcard to our young people who will vote for the first time on May 14th. We have prepared an application that you can download using the QR code found there. We will plant a sapling in the name of each of our youth who downloads the app.” In this election which promises to be particularly disputed, the polls give for the time being Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, supported by a broad coalition, slightly in the lead.

The opposition points to the promises

Promises are raining down on both sides. Ranging from the announcement of free gigabytes, the absence of taxes on the purchase of the first telephone or the first computer, labor grants, until the end of nepotism in access to the public service. The opposition also appears at the forefront in its proposals. And its candidate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu never fails in his meetings to address the Turkish youth. “Dear young people, I know you, I know your enthusiasm!, assures the candidate opposed to Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I will give you freedom, be sure! Your parents won’t have to worry about a tweet you post! Because they will know that from now on, democracy will reign in this country! Security services will no longer come knocking on your door at 5 a.m. They will know that henceforth, in this country, there will be freedom! The challenge is also to restore hope to depressed youth, who are increasingly trying to leave the country.