After last week’s stop in Rize, Medyascope’s series now shifts to the inner Anatolian city of Konya. The city is widely known for its conservatism and strong loyalty to President Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP). Medyascope correspondents Mahır Bağış and Enes Berk Demirkol interviewed residents to discuss Turkey’s ongoing economic crisis.
Economic crisis in AKP strongholds: Konya
Konya is often called a ‘castle’ of Islamic and conservative tradition. Unsurprisingly, the city has consistently supported the AKP throughout its 22-year reign. Until this year, AKP support in Konya had never fallen below 60%. In the May 2023 elections, Erdoğan received 72% of the city’s vote.
AKP support falls
In the March 2024 elections however, the AKP won just 49% of votes in Konya. Nationwide, the party also faced major losses. Although the Republican People’s Party (CHP) only won 12% of votes in Konya, the AKP’s dominance weakened. At the same time, the New Welfare Party (YRP) attracted voters dissatisfied with the AKP’s handling of the economy. Additionally, its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict further drew support away from the AKP.
Sociologist Feyza Akınerdem told Medyascope that the YRP was a key reason for the AKP’s losses in March. The party appealed to voters by pointing to Turkey’s trade with Israel. “Konya voters feel connected to the Milli Görüş movement. I also think Konya is less affected by the crisis due to its ties to the government and internal resources.”
Necmettin Erbakan, founder of the Milli Görüş movement, led the YRP’s predecessor, the Welfare Party. Additionally, he is also seen as a mentor to Erdoğan before the AKP was founded.
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“People are getting by”
One shopkeeper argued that Konya’s tourism sector kept the economy going:
“Thank God, our business is good. This is a touristic region; tourists come and we are able to sell our goods. The prices in Konya are generally reasonable, so people are able to get by.”
“It just keeps getting worse”
Yasin Yılan, who works at a restaurant, had a different view:
“Our business is worse than last year. Even though we’ve kept our prices reasonable, sales have gone down. Everyone’s buying power is lower, so we also feel the effects.”
Yılan’s boss, Mustafa Çağlayan, echoed his employees remarks:
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“The economy’s getting worse. Prices keep going up, and everything has become twice as expensive. Even if the government changes, I’m not sure if anything will get fixed.”
“We feel thankful”
Another shopkeeper said that Turkey’s economy is just fine:
“I’ve been here for 21 years and I do not think there’s an economic crisis. Now there are youth running around with 10,000 TL iPhones. This would not be possible if there were an economic crisis. We feel happy and thankful. Those who are dissatisfied with what they have will never be happy. This is how I view the economy; it depends on people’s point of view.”
“Things will get worse after the new year”
In one of the city’s bustling central markets, our Medyascope correspondents spoke to Harun Çoban, who runs a cheese shop and complained of declining purchasing power in the Turkish economy:
“Our business is worse than last year. Now, the cheapest cheese costs 115-125 Lira. Those who used to buy three kilos now buy just one. I think things will get even worse after the new year.”
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
