Ragip Soylu: Turkey local elections: How Erdogan’s Israel policy backfired

Source:Middle East Eye Date:10Apr2024

While Turkey’s continuing trade with Israel was not the biggest issue prompting conservative voters to stay home or switch parties, it was a factor among others, which even Erdogan acknowledged during a party meeting earlier this week on the election results, according to party sources.

Pollster Ahmet Turan Han told Middle East Eye earlier this week that Ankara’s continuing trade with Israel pushed some deeply conservative voters into the arms of the YRP, which campaigned heavily on this topic, among others, including high-interest-based monetary policy and stray dogs.