Will citizens of Kurdish origin vote for Ekrem İmamoğlu? Research results announced

Turkey will head to the polls for local elections on March 31, 2024.

In Istanbul, one of the cities where the outcome of the critical elections is most anticipated, the race is expected to be between the AKP and MHP candidate Murat Kurum and the CHP candidate, the incumbent Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

A MULTI-CANDIDATE RACE IN ISTANBUL

In Istanbul, where there will be a multi-candidate race, the impact of other parties' candidates on the result is also a matter of curiosity. At the forefront of these parties is the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). The DEM Party, which entered the May 14 elections as the YSP, received 8.13 percent of the vote in Istanbul.

WHAT WILL BE THE PREFERENCE OF KURDISH-ORIGIN VOTERS IN ISTANBUL?

Public opinion researchers and analysts have investigated the tendencies of voters of Kurdish origin in Istanbul in the local elections.

Sharing his work in this direction, Spectrum House Research Center General Director and Sociologist Azad Barış stated that the Kurdish-origin Generation Z will turn towards Ekrem İmamoğlu in the local elections.

"The Kurdish Generation Z is not ashamed of its own culture and shows resistance against oppression in some way," said Barış, adding, "They can take their guitar and play the song 'Çevraşam' on the street. For this reason, based on local dynamics, they will vote for whoever stands closest to the center of universal values. I think the vast majority will vote for İmamoğlu because they know very well that the DEM Party will not win Istanbul."

Noting that voters of Kurdish origin in Istanbul will vote with the 2028 Presidential elections in mind, Barış said, "The Istanbul elections are seen not just as a local election, but as an election that transcends local issues. I think they will vote with 2028 in mind, acting on the logic that whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey."

İMAMOĞLU IS 4 POINTS AHEAD

Noting that according to their latest research, Ekrem İmamoğlu is 4 points ahead, Barış said, "A significant portion of AK Party voters actually want İmamoğlu to manage Istanbul. According to the data we have obtained, there is a very clearly determined situation. Approximately one-third of AK Party voters want İmamoğlu to manage the city individually, but despite this desire, they do not vote for him. For example, 70% of DEM Party voters prefer İmamoğlu to manage the city. The reason for this preference is that they are aware of the positive effects of the successes achieved by İmamoğlu."

AKP'S KURDISH VOTES HAVE DECLINED

Azad Barış stated that the AKP has declined among voters of Kurdish origin due to the appointment of trustees and security-oriented policies. He stated that the vote share, which was previously around 25 percent, has now fallen to 16 percent. He emphasized that this decline is particularly evident in the western provinces.

"NO ONE CAN COME BETWEEN EKREM İMAMOĞLU AND THE KURDS"

IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, in an interview he gave to journalist Altan Sancar last February, had stated, "No one can come between Ekrem İmamoğlu and the Kurds. In my relationship with the Kurds, I do not need the mediation of another party or another political figure. I have no such expectation either. There is a direct line, a direct bond between the beautiful Kurds of Istanbul and Ekrem İmamoğlu, without any intermediaries. I call it the 'Heart Line' between me and our Kurdish citizens. We understand each other. We love each other. We read each other's minds and hearts."