Growing concern in the AKP: CHP operations backfired! 'Love for Erdoğan has been replaced by fear of Erdoğan'

Nefes Newspaper columnist Nuray Babacan revealed a striking picture in her latest column by sharing internal assessments made within the ruling party. According to Babacan, some figures within the AKP have begun to question the impact of recent operations on voter behavior.

According to Babacan's column titled "Fear of Erdoğan?", a significant shift in direction is occurring within the undecided voter base. Babacan states that the comment "love for Erdoğan is giving way to fear of Erdoğan" is being voiced more and more frequently in political circles.

Highlighting that the processes experienced after the March 31 elections have negatively affected voter psychology in internal party analyses, Babacan reported that, according to assessments made within the AKP, while operations targeting CHP-run municipalities initially found resonance with the public, they began to be perceived as a "political purge" over time.

According to what Babacan conveyed from AKP circles, some figures within the party summarize this situation with the following expressions:

"The operations carried out against CHP-run municipalities had created a different feeling at the beginning. The effort to link these operations to corruption had initially yielded results.

Even the 15 percent undecided mass that determines election results in Turkey did not change their stance for a long time in order to buy the 'fight against corruption' narrative.

However, things reached a point where every operation and every arrest that could be perceived as an attempt to push anyone who could be a rival out of the system began to have an effect on different segments.

The masses had difficulty understanding this. Because on one hand, you accuse them of corruption, and on the other, you transfer those who have corruption allegations against them into the party. You set up bargaining rooms and recruit people with money.

Within a few months, the picture began to turn against us. Fear emerged in different segments. The perception began to form that this was not just a problem for CHP voters.

For example, the business world began to experience the anxiety of 'is it our turn next, could we be targeted under some pretext?' after the closed-door threats made from time to time and the subsequent operations. Because there are those who convey this to us.

After opposition mayors, this anxiety and fear began to spread among business people, the bureaucracy, artists, and even ordinary people.

There are those who interpret all of this as 'fear of Erdoğan'.

The undecided mass that determines election results is no longer undecided.

Especially in recent months, they have started to make a choice, and the choice is not us..."

These expressions in Babacan's column indicate that a silent questioning has begun within the AKP. Stating that party officials do not openly voice these analyses to the public and that all assessments are shared among small groups, Babacan commented, "The tradition of discussing mistakes in front of the public no longer exists within the party. Decision-making processes are carried out among narrow cadres."

At the end of the article, Babacan also shared an anecdote from private conversations held within the party. Accordingly, some figures make the following sentences in their conversations among themselves:

"Everything is happening while we are alive, we are witnessing everything. None of us are outside of this..."

Babacan evaluated these words within the party with the expression, "One day, in terms of democracy, law, and justice, it might be said that 'You were all there'."