The economic situation in Turkey weighs heavily on almost everyone. That could be crucial in the May 14 elections. A mood report from three Turkish cities. Turkey has more than 20 years of Erdogan behind it. Whether another five will be added will be decided on May 14th. Presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Turkey on this day. According to polls, for the first time in years, the opposition has a realistic chance of defeating the incumbent president. The ongoing economic crisis could make a significant contribution to Erdogan’s possible defeat. The economy has been in the doldrums for years and things aren’t going as well for Turks as they used to. Especially the extremely high inflation hits people en masse because everyday products are becoming increasingly unaffordable. While annual inflation is 43 percent according to official figures, it is around 105 percent according to calculations by the Independent Inflation Research Group (ENAG). An indication that the Turkish authorities are glossing over the figures. The Turkish lira has also increasingly lost in value against the euro and the US dollar in recent years: in 2014 you had to pay around 2.90 lira for one euro, today it is around 21.50 lira. Erdogan despite everything People are feeling the effects of the economic crisis everywhere in Turkey – even in the country’s conservative cities. However, many remain loyal to their president. A taxi driver from the central Anatolian city of Konya told DW that he would vote for Erdogan again in this election, even if he was not doing well economically. He thinks many economic projects, including the new Turkish electric car “TOGG”, are good. He accuses the opposition of not standing behind the government. “If the opposition not only criticizes these projects, but … Read whole article »