The choice in Turkey鈥檚 vote
A watershed national election on Sunday marks an opportunity to put democratic participation above disillusionment and fear.
Yunus Efe, a Bogazici University student, chats with a friend at a coffee house in Istanbul, Turkey, May 4.
REUTERS
On Sunday, Turkey will vote in an election with consequences reaching far beyond its borders. For the country鈥檚 64 million voters and their families, the immediate concerns are bread and butter. Inflation peaked at 85% last October. The nation鈥檚 currency has plunged 57% against the U.S. dollar.
At a time when many democracies are struggling, Turkey鈥檚 ballot for president and parliament marks a test case. 鈥淭he question is simple: ... fear or hope?鈥� wrote journalist Ece Temelkuran in The Guardian.
As Turkey鈥檚 leader for 20 years, Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an has slid toward one-man rule, consolidating authority in a new, all-powerful presidency while undermining parliament, the judiciary, and the central bank. Since surviving a coup attempt in 2016, he has arrested some 80,000 people and muzzled institutions like the media and universities with layers of new restrictions.
Polls show Mr. Erdo臒an trailing his opponent, Kemal K谋l谋莽daro臒lu, a consensus candidate backed by six opposition parties who has vowed to restore integrity to the country鈥檚 democratic institutions. Their differences have played out on the campaign trail in a debate over individual and national identity rarely seen even in the most robust democracies.
Mr. Erdo臒an has styled himself as a populist Islamist who eschewed Turkey鈥檚 modern secularism to restore Muslim mores. In contrast, Mr. K谋l谋莽daro臒lu, who comes from a minority Muslim sect called the Alevis, sought in a recent video to put universal qualities at the center of Turk identity.
鈥淲e can choose to be good people, to be honest and ethical, to have a conscience, to be virtuous and just,鈥� he said in a widely viewed video. 鈥淲e can choose to live a better life, in a free and prosperous country.鈥�
That message was tailored to appeal to women and youth who have emerged as sources of civic strength. In Turkey, young, first-time voters who have lived their whole lives under Mr. Erdo臒an鈥檚 rule make up 8% of the electorate. A recent poll showed that just 1 in 5 Turks age 18-25 support the president and ruling party. Another poll found that 62% lament the underrepresentation of women in politics.
鈥淭he issue of female politicians is not just a matter of equal representation,鈥� said Nilden Bayazit, a women鈥檚 rights advocate. 鈥淎 female politician is needed for a democratic society, for justice, to solve the climate problem, to end corruption, to transform education policies and to regulate family policies.鈥�
Critics of Mr. Erdo臒an worry he may not accept a defeat. Previous national and local elections were mired in fraud. But Turks living abroad have already voted in record numbers. On voting day, civil society groups will dispatch monitors to polling stations armed with apps and social media to report results and irregularities. Regardless of the ballot鈥檚 outcome, a mental shift toward self-government has already taken place.