Turkish student Yunus Efe has only met one leader in his country – him Tayyip Erdogan. As he prepares to vote for the first time in elections this month, the 22-year-old says it’s time for a change.

Efe is one of at least six million voters expected to cast their ballots for the first time in the May 14 election. As they make up around 10% of the electorate, their votes could prove crucial in deciding whether Erdogan’s rule continues for a third decade or ends.

Efe, who was a baby when Erdogan came to power in 2003, said he would vote for opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who he believes will strengthen the rule of law, human rights and freedom of expression — which according to with his critics suffered under Erdogan.

“I am definitely concerned about freedom of expression. In fact, I live it every day but we don’t realize it because we are used to living this way,” said Efe, who said he thinks twice before liking or sharing posts on social media.

In a 2022 report, Human Rights Watch reported that thousands of people faced arrest or prosecution in Turkey for posting on social media, accused of defamation, insulting the president or spreading terrorist propaganda.

Ankara says its measures are necessary to combat the spread of disinformation in the media and online.

Efe said he was indifferent to elections and politics “like many young people” but is now excited to vote and attracted by the promises of Kilicdaroglu and his Republican People’s Party (CHP), one of the six parties that allied against Erdogan.

“I believe that rights and justice can be restored,” said Efe, speaking to Reuters from central Istanbul.

That shows the challenge facing Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK party as they try to rally support for presidential and parliamentary elections, with their popularity hit by rising living costs and skyrocketing inflation.

Believing this to be their best chance yet to oust Erdogan, his opponents are vowing to reverse many of his signature policies, such as abolishing the all-powerful presidential system that critics see as a symbol of his insistence on gaining even more power. greater control.

“Angry and without hope”

Erdogan’s share among young people and first-time voters is projected to be lower than in other age groups, said Erman Bakirci of polling firm Konda Arastirma.

Describing the segment of the 85 million Turks who make up the young voters as “very angry and without hope”, Bakirci said they would be crucial to the outcome because they constitute such a large bloc.

“They see through the internet and social media what their peers are doing in Europe and what opportunities they have,” Bakirji said. “They see the gap between them widening… They lack social, economic and legal security. They want to get out of this situation.”

Erdogan championed the youth in his campaign while criticizing them for not appreciating the growth of the economy in his day, recalling how much harder times were before AK came to power.

Erdogan, whose first years in power saw an economic boom, has traditionally drawn support from conservative voters in the Islamic hinterland of Anatolia.

According to a survey conducted by Konda last year, 57% of new voters described themselves as modern, 32% as traditional voters and the rest said they would describe themselves as religious conservatives.

Emre Orgyun, 22, who works in the IT department of a textile company in Istanbul, said he will vote for Erdogan because he does not believe the opposition can govern Turkey as well as the veteran leader.

“And of course I want the current government to continue. We want them to continue with some changes in some officials and policies,” Orgyun said. He added that his main problem is high prices and employment opportunities.

But his colleague who works in the same company in Istanbul said that he will vote for Kilicdaroglu.

Berivan, as she said she was called, said she was forced to give up her dream of becoming a lawyer due to financial constraints. Criticizing the state of the education system and the economy, he said you need friends in the right places to get anywhere.

“I believe that young people have the opportunity to change things. I believe many young people think the same way. Education and the economy are in a very bad state,” said Berivan from the company’s sewing workshop.

“This situation can be changed by the person young people choose to trust,” Berivan said. “We only have one chance for a candidate and we have to trust him.”