Everything about the importance of municipal elections in Türkiye

Mehr News, International Group: The people of Turkey went to the polls this Sunday. In May 1402, they voted to elect the president and members of parliament, but now they are going to elect mayors whose term of office is 5 years, and in many ways, the importance of party competition for this big contest is no less than the parliamentary elections.

Erdogan promised in last year’s election that he would end the economic crisis as soon as possible and lower inflation. But since then, the situation has become more difficult for the Turkish people and the dollar has gone from 21 lira to 32 lira within a year. But it is not clear how much this important variable affects the results of party competition. Of course, it is said that Erdogan is worried about the election results, and if important cities such as Istanbul and Ankara are not under the control of mayors supported by him, the path ahead will be difficult for the government and the ruling party.

62 million citizens are eligible to vote

In the mood of the holy month of Ramadan and on the Sunday holiday, it is expected that a high participation rate will be recorded in the Turkish elections this time. But due to the seasonal conditions, horizon difference and sunset time, the voting time in 32 eastern provinces of Turkey will be one hour earlier than other provinces. But the total voting time in all provinces will be 9 hours without the possibility of extension.

According to the laws of Turkey, the “High Electoral Institution” (YSK) is the highest institution in charge of the electoral affairs of this country, which is independent from the government and the Ministry of Interior. This institution announced that 61 million 441 thousand 882 Turkish citizens are eligible to vote. One million 32 thousand 610 citizens over 18 years of age will vote for the first time in this election. 34 small and big political parties of Turkey, in 81 provinces of this country, are competing in today’s elections and 206 thousand funds will be established all over the country.

Out of the total of 81 provinces of Turkey, the centers of 30 provinces of this country are known as metropolitan municipalities, which are more important for all parties due to the high budget and credits, and different parties try They want to conquer more metropolises.

Usually the counting of votes in Turkey is done at a high speed, but it is not unlikely that this time there will be differences and problems in some sensitive constituencies. In the 2019 elections, the Justice and Development Party complained and announced that there was a violation in the counting of votes in Istanbul. Erdoğan, who could not accept that his close friend Ben Ali Yildirim, the former prime minister of Turkey, lost to Akram Imamoglu, demanded the annulment of the results. Under the political pressure of the ruling party, the Supreme Election Institution accepted this request and voted to repeat the election. But in the next election, Imamoglu got more votes and became the mayor. As a result, it is expected that new issues will be raised regarding the counting of votes in Istanbul, Ankara and even in Izmir.

Why are municipalities important for Turkish parties?

Mayors have significant powers in the political-executive system of Turkey, and parties that can take control of municipalities have many tools and possibilities to strengthen their political and social base. . After all, reaching the post of mayor, especially in the big cities of Turkey, is a sensitive and important exercise to highlight the names of politicians who want to become ministers and presidents in the future.

The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the leader of the Justice and Development Party, was once the mayor of Istanbul and during the same period he held this position, he was able to introduce himself to the people of Turkey. and later reach the position of prime minister and president. This rule also applies to the opposition, and Erdogan, who has now become the president of Turkey for the third time in a row, does not want important and strategic cities in Turkey to fall into the hands of mayors who follow the political approach of his opposition parties.

When in 2019, several important municipalities, especially Ankara, Istanbul and Adana, fell into the hands of the opposition, practically a wave of weakening the social foundations of the Justice and Development Party began, and then Since that important event, the opposition has been able to block several of Erdogan’s mega projects. One of these projects was the construction of a new waterway for ships to pass from the Black Sea to Istanbul, Marmara, Aegean and the Mediterranean Sea, which could not be implemented due to the firm opposition of Akram Imamoglu, and as a result, the government and the ruling party failed to implement the planned billion dollars of this project were deprived.

Complex game in foggy Istanbul

The metropolis of 14 million people, Istanbul, is known as the heart of tourism, business and cultural and sports developments in Turkey. Most of Turkey’s big brands and holdings are in Istanbul, and Erdogan has repeatedly acknowledged in his speeches that “whoever wins Istanbul, wins all of Turkey, and whoever loses in Istanbul, will lose all over Turkey.” This statement of his speaks of the fact that the mayor of Istanbul is such an important post and position that even when the government and parliament are in the hands of the ruling party, without Istanbul, he feels that he has lost something important and cannot be satisfied. Carry out your plans.

In the last 5 years, Istanbul Municipality has been in the hands of Akram Imamoglu and the evidence shows that he has significant popularity among the people of this city. He came to the field as a candidate supported by the People’s Republic Party, which is the oldest party in Turkey. A party with 101 years of experience and a secular and Kemalist political and intellectual approach has used all its power to support Imamoglu, and on the other hand, the Justice and Development Party has also nominated Murad Kurum, who was previously the Minister of Housing and Urban Development in Erdogan’s cabinet. and the environment, and during the earthquake, the record was already accepted.

Now most of the field polls indicate the possibility of Imamoglu’s victory. But most of the political experts say that the competition in this city is just like the foggy atmosphere of the morning that covers the huge bridge of Istanbul; It is vague and unknown. Because Imamoglu, this time, unlike the fluid competition of 2019, does not have the support of millions of Kurds living in Istanbul, and some other opposition parties have also sent candidates to the field that will cause the votes to be split.

It is expected that if Murad Kurum wins in Istanbul, Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party will have more opportunities to advance their political and economic programs in a totalitarian manner. Even the results of the 2028 elections will be relieved to a great extent. But in Ankara, the situation is in favor of Mansur Yovash, the candidate supported by the People’s Republic Party. Now we have to see where the results of today’s competition will go and to what extent it will affect the future developments of Turkey.