Turkey-Survey: 51% consider it ‘good’ to have a leader who should not be involved in parliament and elections

Financial problems, refugees and COVID-19 are major issues for Turkish citizens, according to the Kadir Has University’s annual Center for Social and Political Trends Survey published earlier this week, according to ahvalnews.com

Turks see the economy as the most important problem facing the country at 22.7%, according to a survey conducted between October 23 – November 5, 2021.

The annual consumer price index in the country rose to 36.08% last month, as the country’s citizens saw the cost of living rise sharply. Food and energy prices have jumped to their highest levels since 2002. In addition, the Turkish lira lost more than 40% of its value against the US dollar last year.

Overall, 55.7% of respondents prefer the presidential system of government, according to the survey.

Following the introduction of the presidential form of government in 2018, the country’s powerful man, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, institutionally sought to secure power through an executive presidency capable of intervening deeply in the bureaucracy and judiciary, as well as bringing the army under control.

A total of 44.3% said they were in favor of a parliamentary system. These percentages have not changed significantly compared to the previous year.

The Turkish parliament finds its legislative monopoly being phased out by the excessive use of legislative decrees. This trend started in the summer of 2016 with emergency decrees in the context of the state of emergency and continued with presidential decrees.

About 51% of respondents think that “having a strong leader who does not have to deal with parliament and elections” is very good or good.

The favor of a strong leader was 46.6% in 2020. In a statement in 2018, Erdogan said he had sole executive power over the institutions. He alone appoints all the ministers and all the senior civil servants in all the departments.

All central bodies remain accountable to him. According to the 2021 Republic’s State of the World Report, Turkey is among the countries whose democratic values ​​have declined the most in the last 10 years. The report defined Turkey as a hybrid or authoritarian regime.

When asked “how would you describe yourself in terms of your political views?”, 27.5% of respondents said they were very “conservative”.

Those who identified themselves as “nationalists” amount to 19.9 percent and “Kemalists” to 19.2%. While the percentage of those who identify themselves as “Political Islamists” (9%) did not change significantly compared to the previous year, the percentage of those who are “Social Democrats” decreased from 13.9% to 8.3%. Those who identify themselves as “Kemalists” seem to have risen from 10.3% to 19.9%.

The survey found that the police is the most reliable institution for the Turkish people with 65.4% in 2021. It is followed by the Gendarmerie in second place (65.4%) and the Turkish Armed Forces in third place (62.4%). The Turkish Grand National Assembly (57%) is in fourth place and the Presidency (56.9%) is in fifth place as the most credible body in Turkey.

The Turkish people no longer perceive the United States as the number one threat. The US is ranked as the third most important threat with 56.1%. Armenia occupies the first most perceived threat to Turkey with 60.9%. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh armed conflict, Turkish forces provided military support to Azerbaijan against Armenia. Before the start of the conflict, Turkey escalated nationalist rhetoric against Armenia.

Israel in second place (60.5%) and Iraq in fourth place (49.6%) are still considered significant threats.

Overall, 50.6% of respondents say they are satisfied with the government’s foreign policy. However, support for Turkey’s military presence in foreign countries fell to 29.1 per cent, the lowest level to date, while “support for Turkish cross-border operations” is also the lowest to date at 33.7%.