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Ruling AKP Still Strongest in Turkey
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is clearly the most popular political force in the country, according to a poll by Konda released by Raymond James Securities. 42 per cent of respondents would back the AKP in this year's parliamentary election.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) and Democratic Left Party (DSP) are second with 15 per cent, followed by the National Action Party (MHP) with 12 per cent. Parties require at least 10 per cent of the vote to earn seats under the country's proportional representation system.
In the November 2002 ballot, the right-leaning AKP elected 363 lawmakers to the 550-seat legislative branch. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a member of the AKP, has served as prime minister since March 2003. The next legislative election in Turkey is scheduled for Jul. 22.
In Turkey, the president is elected to a single seven-year term by the Great National Assembly. In April, the AKP proposed foreign minister Abdullah Gul, an ex-Islamist, for the presidency. The nomination sparked fierce opposition by Turkey's political and civilian secularists, which eventually led to Gul's withdrawal from the race.
On Jun. 19, Turkish president Ahmet Necdet Sezer vetoed a measure proposed by the Erdogan government to hold a referendum on whether the people should directly elect the head of state. Sezer, a staunch secularist, defended his decision, saying, "The confusion that would be created by holding the general elections and referendum together would make it more difficult to reach a healthy result on the issue."
Polling Data
What party would you support in the next parliamentary election?
Justice and Development Party (AKP) | 42% |
Republican People's Party (CHP) and | 15% |
National Action Party (MHP) | 12% |
Source: Konda / Raymond James Securities
Methodology: Interviews with 3,605 Turk adults in 32 provinces, conducted from Jun. 9 and Jun. 10, 2007. No margin of error was provided.