“Election of the Year”… Many media platforms around the world are using this phrase to describe the Turkish elections which will be held on May 14, 2023.
The 2023 election is not only a source of local or even regional concern, but also it concerns the entire world. The race in the 2023 election is considered very strong which increases interest in its results. Opinion polls reflect a very close electoral race, which means that the 2023 election will not be just an ordinary election but will be a sign of continuity or a change.
It should be noted that this crucial election was preceded by one of the most tragic disasters in world history, which increases the sensitivity of the election even more. As 11 cities were affected by the earthquake, which not only destroyed the southeast of the country, but also struck Türkiye entirely at various levels. This was reflected in the electoral campaigns. There is no doubt that this represented a turning point in the electoral campaigns, as it made the whole process more silent and less noisy and polluted than before.
The political campaigns promise major turning points which will be political, social, economic, defence, and foreign affairs. These will be key areas of continuity or change. It will bring with it opportunities and challenges at the same time.
Sustainability and resilience will be the key terms in this election. The world is facing a systematic transformation in the above-mentioned areas. Therefore, identifying opportunities and challenges will depend on the ability of the winner to turn challenges into opportunities.
The elections bring with it another challenge: immigrants. The growing concerns about this demographic group are not only local, but also regional and global. The contestants in the 2023 election have divergent and sometimes very extreme views on this vital issue of the 21st century.
It can be said that looking at the younger generation as an opportunity and a challenge, when it comes to immigrants, is a somewhat double-edged sword. This is due to the problems of unemployment, security, polarisation, housing, and hyperinflation, which were caused by urgent necessities within the earthquake zone and needed their share of the budget and priority.
Voting will be based on many different issues. The impact will not only be local, but also regional and global. When there is systematic global transformation taking place, it can be said that the 2023 election has the potential to affect that transformation in terms of managing opportunities and challenges, in the political, demographic, social, economic and environmental areas.
Increasing the influence of young voters in this election also comes with challenges. Expectations may be high regarding the country’s geopolitical importance, but the 2023 election in Türkiye will have important implications on key issues such as supply chains, energy, digitisation, and migration. The impact of the Turkish choice will not only be local, despite the fact that it is a local election. Rather, it will be regional and global. For this reason, the world calls it the “election of the year 2023.”
[by Phyllis Catman in Arabic Post]
Compiled and translated by Faizul Haque