Turkish economic slump raises election fears for Erdogan

Source:Financial Times Date:12Nov2018

Up for grabs are the mayors’ offices and elected councils across Turkey’s 81 provinces. The most important contests are in Ankara, the capital, and Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest urban centre, where the story of Mr Erdogan’s rise began in 1994 with his election as the city’s chief. But the elections are expected to be tough for the president against the backdrop of a sharp economic slowdown and a collapse in consumer confidence. “In elections in Turkey, much like everywhere else, the economy is key,” said Can Selcuki, head of the consultancy Istanbul Economics Research. “And, for the first time in a long time, we see that households are hurting.”