ANKARA, April 1. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have learned a tough lesson from the people in the municipal elections, but the Turkish leader is still strong enough to try to regain the lost positions, Ozan Ormeci, the founder of the Turkish Academy of International Politics and associate professor at Istanbul's Aydin University, has told TASS.
"The people in the elections taught Erdogan a tough lesson, but it is impossible to say that everything is over. Erdogan is still strong. Now there are calls for early [general and presidential] elections, but there won't be any because the economy and security are on the agenda. Moreover, Erdogan was re-elected just recently, last year, and he will not bother to call early elections. The opposition does not have enough social resources and media to press for them. Also, it is satisfied with the current situation," Ormeci said.
Speaking about the reasons for the decline in support for the AKP, Ormeci noted that the main factors were "the condition of the economy and the motivation of pensioners to take revenge on Erdogan."
"That the Republican People's Party (CHP) managed to renew and rejuvenate itself also played into the hands of the opposition. It nominated extraordinarily popular politicians - [Istanbul Mayor] Ekrem Imamoglu, [Ankara Mayor] Mansur Yavaє and others. The AKP presented low-profile candidates. The Turkish nation likes bellicose, ambitious politicians, not loyal and low-profile ones," Ormeci said.
The main factor for Erdogan's successful future performance, according to the expert, may be his victory over the problems in the economy. "If the economy is okay, they may still have a chance in the next election. Although, of course, there is a great deal of uncertainty about whether Erdogan will be the candidate or who will be in his place. Back in 2019, the nation delivered its message to the authorities in the municipal elections, but the opposition alliance then ceded victory to the ruling forces due to poor strategy. Nevertheless, Turkey is dominated by right-wing forces and anything can happen before 2028," Ormeci believes.
With nearly 100% of the reports processed following the March 31 municipal elections, the CHP and its candidates held the lead for the first time in decades. In the race for city and metropolitan mayoral posts, the CHP gets 37.7%, while the AKP, 35.4%. In the race for regional municipalities and city councils nationwide, the CHP has 34.4%, while the AKP has 32.4%. Since coming to power in 2002, the AKP has never lost an election before.