Striking analysis from The Economist on Erdoğan and Gen Z

The British magazine The Economist has published an article analyzing the political and social trends of young people in Turkey. The magazine emphasized that AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's goal of raising a "pious generation" has not resonated with Generation Z. The report included the statement, "Erdoğan had always hoped to raise a pious youth."

The Economist stated that Turkey's Generation Z is less religious than Erdoğan expected and could pose the greatest threat to his rule. It was noted that Erdoğan, who struggles to connect with young voters, finds that his rhetoric does not resonate among the youth. It was pointed out that the government's influence on social media remains limited.

The magazine described Generation Z as "those who do not know the era before Erdoğan" and wrote that they are at the forefront of Ekrem İmamoğlu's actions. Furthermore, according to the "Lifestyle" research published by Konda in 2024, the proportion of those who define themselves as "pious conservative" fell from 32 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2024. It was stated that young people born between the late 90s and early 2010s have adopted a questioning approach to politics.