AKP Below 40 Percent, HDP Passes Election Threshold: Poll
According to a poll by Gezici Research Firm for March 2015, ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) votes are currently 39.3 percent while opposing Republican People’s Party (CHP) at 29.6 percent, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) at 17.7 percent, and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) at 11.4 percent - above the election threshold.
HDP’s votes from AKP
According to an article on Cumhuriyet newspaper, the aforementioned poll was conducted across 36 cities after a series of interviews with 4,860 participants.
The poll revealed that 82 - 84 percent of the votes to HDP came from the previous voters of AKP. In addition, it showed that 36 percent of Kurdish people will vote for AKP, 50 percent for HDP, and 14 percent for other parties.
71 percent unfavorable to presidential system
According to the poll, 71.17 percent of voters don’t support the presidential system. Among the voters of AKP, 64 percent are against the presidential system.
While 40.5 percent think that the government is unable to manage the resolution process with the Kurds, 34.4 percent expressed the new presidential palace (Ak Saray) as a mistake. On the other hand, only 28.7 percent think that AKP committed corruptions.
Erdoğan not impartial
A majority of 65.8 percent expressed that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can’t remain impartial during his post. In the past 3 months, AKP voters also expressed a concern on Erdoğan’s interventions to the government. In addition to that, 67.2 percent thought that either the president or the government intervened to the media in Turkey.
"Turkey's political climate will change"
Evaluating the poll results, Bahçeşehir University’s Economic and Social Research Center (BETAM) Director, Prof. Dr. Seyfettin Gürsel said that if the poll is right, it would be mean that AKP will lose vote and HDP will pass the election threshold.
“This will mean that AKP will lose its majority in the parliament. AKP will have to form a coalition then. Or a new coalition will be formed. This is a big claim,” he said.
Referring to other research that showed AKP above 50, Gürsel said the following: “I don’t know who will be right, but this is very important. Turkey’s political climate will completely change.”
Unexpected tax visit after releasing polls
On February 25, tax inspectors paid an unexpected visit to Gezici Research Firm the day after it released a poll that showed AKP’s votes under 40 percent. Company owner Murat Gezici told bianet that the visit was meaningful considering its timing. The inspectors, on the other hand, found no unlawful practice in the tax procedures. (NV/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.