“This is not a choice between two different programs, but a vote against the dictatorship.” Emrehan sums up what many young people his age are thinking these days. That twenty years of AKP, twenty years of Erdogan in power is enough. It needs a change. Emrehan is among the 5 million new voters participating on May 14 for the first time in the elections.

Most do not remember another leader in Turkey, first as prime minister and then as president. In fact, the also young Defne states that if the Turkish president remains in power, she will go abroad. “I think some things need to change so that people here can live well again. I’m 20 years old and my generation hasn’t really had good times,” he says.

“It’s not healthy”

And Zeynep believes it’s time for a change, although she doesn’t think everything President Erdogan has done is negative. “Not only in our country but in no democracy in the world should a politician remain in power for such a long time, it is not healthy” he admits. “However, the Turkish president also has good sides, such as many years of experience, for example, and great successes.” However, she does not answer if these good sides are enough for her to prefer him with her vote. Because despite her assessment, she rejects the presidential system with superpowers for Erdogan or any other president. “Like many young people, I believe that we should return to the parliamentary system, because Turkey has a democratic government,” he emphasizes. “Of course we are against ‘one man authority’.”

The latter is what bothers Aslan the most. That his country under the current leadership is moving away from western values, from democracy and the rule of law and is heading towards an authoritarian state. Such a state is not what most young people want. This is why Emerhan is convinced. “A state in which politicians care neither about minority rights nor pro-women politics. But this also applies to the opposition,” he argues.

“Society must change”

“In our eyes, politics was always something that was done by these old people or could only be done if one submitted to the establishment. But we don’t want that. We want to be able to be politically active without submitting to the establishment,” says the young Turk. Of course everyone in Turkish politics knows that they need the new voters. But they do very little for them,” Defne says confidently. “What matters is the degree to which we participate in the decisions. That’s what they need to do instead of just saying we’re totally important to them. And by that I mean both the opposition and the Erdogan government.”

The young lady believes that society as a whole needs to change. But it will take a long time. But many young people in Turkey, including Emrehan, who describes the current situation in his country as a dictatorship, hold out hope that he will succeed. That there is still hope that gives strength to young people to continue their lives in Turkey.

Most young people voting for the first time on May 14 are not avowed opposition supporters, but many are against Erdogan and his party.