The majority of Turkey’s youth distrusts the country’s politicians and feels a deep anxiety about its future, Bekir Ağırdır, president of the Konda polling company, has said.
Speaking to the T24 news website’s Murat Sabuncu, Ağırdır detailed the results of Konda’s latest study, which show that 60 percent of the 18-24 age group and 70 percent of the 15-18 age group are of the opinion that “nothing can be achieved with these politicians and parties.”
Ağırdır further claimed that the voter base of each party is undergoing a gradual process of disintegration as “core” voters have been turning into “sympathizers,” meaning that voters have become less committed over time.
Ağırdır also talked about a “household economics” survey Konda conducted in December, saying that the results point to negative prospects for the country’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“Only 16 percent of participants said they were able to save money in December, and 55 percent said their income met their expenses, which means that 29 percent of households experienced a shortfall,” Ağırdır said, adding that 30 percent of respondents were receiving social assistance.
“When you look at the nature of the social aid, it only fuels consumption and does not boost productive investment. These figures imply that voters will call the government into question,” he said. “But this questioning might end up working in favor of the government as it may lead to worries about whether the social policies will remain in place.”
