5:59 v originále: Turkish elections and 25 million disappointed voters

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrates yet another victory, defeating his opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu in last Sunday's presidential runoff election. Backed by his party's parliamentary majority, Erdogan secures another five-year term. The bitter campaign left Turkish society deeply polarized, the investors feeling jittery about how the president will deal with the economic crisis and the EU and NATO partners anticipating what lies ahead. How does Erdogan plan to restore investors' confidence and win over those who did not vote for him?

The presidential election in Turkey took place in an atmosphere of an extremely divided society. For months, two camps have been engaged in a fierce conflict, one supporting the government and the other representing the opposition, viewing each other as arch enemies. According to Pelin Ayan Musil, a senior researcher at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, the electoral competition was thus „a zero-sum game where one side feels they have won everything, while the other side has lost everything. There is no midpoint.“

In the end, the victory went to the incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been ruling the country as prime minister and president for the past 20 years. This is despite the fact that he was not a clear favorite compared to the previous elections, mainly due to the tragic consequences of the earthquake earlier this year. According to official estimates, more than 50,000 people died in the earthquake, most of them trapped under the rubble of poorly built houses.

You can listen to a special episode of the podcast 5:59 in the audio player:

Yet even in the earthquake-ravaged parts of the country, Erdogan secured votes. According to researcher Pelin Ayan Musil, this is because he directed all of the state's resources into the affected regions. Musil describes Erdogan's rhetoric, saying: „Erdogan stated, it is not in my hands to prevent an earthquake, but what is in my hands is to deliver housing.“ He promised to accomplish this within one year, and through this approach, he managed to regain support, Musil concludes.

According to Pelin Ayan Musil, there are three reasons why Erdogan eventually emerged as the winner. First, Turkish voters respond to the strongly nationalistic tone of his campaign. The second reason is the vilification of the opposition, which has led many people to perceive the opposition forces as terrorists. The third reason, she explains, is the significant financial reliance of impoverished sections of the population on the generous welfare system provided and guaranteed by Erdogan.

Although Erdogan's rival Kilicdaroglu did not challenge the voting process itself, Musil points out that it was evident that the elections were not entirely fair. Specifically, the period prior to the polls were opened was characterized by opposition bullying. „Many prominent political leaders and figures in Turkey today are imprisoned, including Selahattin Demirtaş, the leader of the pro-Kurdish party,“ describes Musil and points out that the mayor of Istanbul, who had been discussed as a potential anti-Erdogan candidate, has also been imprisoned.

The opposition's 25 million voters now remain disillusioned and, according to Pelin Ayan Musil, do not feel part of the system. „People are concerned about the future of their children and the future of the economy and rising prices. So I do expect that many people would want to leave the country,“ concludes Pelin Ayan Musil, a senior researcher at the Institute of International Relations in Prague.

In the full version of 5:59 podcast, you will also hear about the Turkish economic situation is looking and Pelin Ayan Musil's insights into President Erdogan's behaviour on the international political scene. To listen to the audio, please click on player at the beginning of the article.