the law that the greece extinction began an amazing diversity of distribution of the british isles. and they are going to preserve this habitat. the aisles starts on dw, the turkey is poised to hold an election that could prove decisive, not only for the countries democracy, but also for europe and the middle east. and most especially for the leader who has been in power for the past 20 years. rest at tie up 31 is facing his most contested election ever with a very real chance of defeat. some voters are put off by the presidents, increasingly orthor, terry, and rule. but for many, it's the economy. corruption, mismanagement,

and record high inflation are prompting new support for the opposition coalition. a lines behind kim ok to leech download. so we're asking elections in turkey. are the ones moment of truth, the hello and welcome to to the point. it is a pleasure to introduce our guest starting with you, the hon, who reports for dw, from is simple and is joining us remotely from turkey. i'm also very pleased to welcome d like corvette and she is that teaching and researching at the university of copenhagen on human rights. and she also formerly headed the democratization program at the turkish foundation for economic and social studies and also wrote for turkish media. and finally, a great the sure to welcome sand dune dot. he's the former editor in chief of the

turkish daily. come, who is yet now living in exile here in germany and producing documentary amongst others for dw. let me start if i may with you, john. the other one regime sentenced you 227 years in prison in i've sent to you. and they recently put you on a list of most wanted terrorism suspects. so what are you feeling as you looking to toward this selection that potentially could unseat out of why i have a kind of cautious optimism about the results i'm optimistic because i believe in the power of the people. but i'm cautious because i know way of doing and how he's capable of what you know he's, he will do his best to stay in pover. exactly. no one knows better than you that he doesn't stop and putting the entire power of the state behind efforts to destroy

those who block him. so would you really expect him to take a defeat and, and go, or, you know, we know from the us experience for example, with the, with, from, or, you know, both an arrow in brazil. so those kind of guys, the never want to leave the power of peacefully and do like of course, certainly past elections has been rig. why would we expect this one to be free and fair? well, i think we, we need to, if we look at the past, the last election stuff we had in turkey, which were very critical to 2019 local elections there. there were, of course, also attempt that, you know, add one on his resume, try to break worst yet. they didn't actually accept the faith because the molar the position is candidate one minute spelled that you if you stumble, which was a big the 5th floor out the one because he used to be the main focus couple of himself at the political and beginning of his political career,

the difference between molar opposition candidates and his wife will add on the 10th of it was only $13000.00. and then the elections were repeated lawfully, and the margin then became $800000.00. so remember all that was really liked it. that stat and see the are the ones attempt not to accept the results of the democratic election, multi lice. many people who went to the ballots, assembled from change sides to show supports for democracy. and i think this time, i think we should not under estimate the opposition also the opposition parties. all of them have gave considerable expertise and experience in protecting the balance. they are ready for the night. no one is going to sleep as plus their citizen mobilization. there are citizens that will go that are going to be witnesses at the ballots. they're going to be there to watch the council for the results, etc. i mean, i think we have enough reasons to be helped optimistic on the front. so in a way, you're giving us the political science reinforcement of what john told us that you

believe in the people the voters themselves. let me go over to you the uh, in is simple in an interview recently. wish you the opposition candidates cute each to hold you said we will bring democracy to this country and it won't only be seen here in turkey. but in the world, what does the selection mean to the world? why should our voters, whether they're watching in europe, the us, the americas, africa, asia? why should they care about the selection? well, melinda, i would argue these elections are the most important elections globally in 2023 and the stakes couldn't be higher as sundays. both will determine how turkey will be governed in the future. will there be a return to parliamentary democracy or can add one, extend his rule into a decade under an almost old, powerful presidency. the vote will also determine with the country's economy is

headed. will there be more market friendly approaches or can add one, continue his very controversial and orthodox economic policies. and then of course of foreign policy. the opposition was 2 and years of strained relations with key west and partners. the u. s. b, u. nato. and we're talking about talk you right, it's you strategic powerhouse and natal member. so the opposition of the government, they are offering very different visions for the future of turkey. and voters have to make a tough decision here. and we want to take a look at exactly that. let's take a look at the dual between the 2 candidates who could scarcely be more different. the president of human has been in power for 20 years. the stall since his political career as a barrel of hope and innovation. today,

the all physician and even full mr. pulse has hold the 69 year old, responsible for turkey's transformation into a repressive one mountain state. other one has been continuously using harsh component, rising rhetoric against opponents like come on this to come all drink as much as you want. my nation will not give the floor to an alcoholic. a drug called come from the across. he is referring to the lead to of the c h p. come out of college to who, who with his common reserved domina is the opposite of other one. and also his fits his competitor. he heads and the alliance of 6 policies and has already survived to assess the nation attempt. still, he preaches unity and reconciliation. i went discriminate. i will embrace o 85000000 talk to some people via valid done of the promises his votes as an end to despotism, corruption and nepotism, which he already denounced in 2017 with the nerve of 400 columbus and marched for

justice from and corrupt to east on the other one includes to all who will win the hudson votes of the tuckers people. and let me pass that question straight to julia because in fact, you have been talking to voters and you've also been accompanying the opposition candidate as he campaigns. he is currently leading in the polls. what would you say when you talk to the voters? how does he stack up against other one as well? you know, mr. calista also has actually made the heart his signature guest or he's holding up his hands in a heart shape. and as you mentioned, he has a narrow lead in the polls and speaking to people, looking at the figures, of course, he could really pull off what was long considered here in the country. he could indeed manage to beat a president ad one in a 1st round or a 2nd round to run those 2 weeks later. he's currently pulling between 45 to

5255 percent, and canada to winning the presidential vote needs at least 50 percent of the votes . but let me also remind l voters that our view is a part of the present. an ad one still has the support of many religious conservative voters here in the country. there are many people who tell me, they believe he's the only man who can hold this country together. who can run it effectively and it's going to be a tight race. john and speak to that point as well if you, if you'd like. but i'd like to ask you about what we heard in the report where our other one is essentially playing the hate card seeking to polarize the electorate. he's also been playing the fear card. he's said that uh that mr. q, the star, who would let her wrist out of jail, would turn the turkish people into l. g, b, 2 years. whatever that means, do you think such polarizing tactics can when voters still it's worked very well

for the left to dictates and that's why this is because he's been using to consolidate his power and is of course dispose of ation and hate campaign helped him a lot in the list less especially the 5 years. but i guess the people who are really fed up with that know, and they need someone who embrace all the nations and the name of the guys clearly little, i guess. or do you like, i'd like to just deconstruct the hearts and minds question a bit, namely whose hearts and minds seem to be going to which candidate it is sometimes said that the kurdish vote could prove absolutely key for these elections. would you agree and where is it, where is it going to go? yes. and that's unit experience. a past experience and a few past elections show that the kurtz, the kurdish party, has become on the team maker in elections. and this time, 1st of all,

they didn't all show their own candidates. second, a full day have whole heartedly support of the hospital. and you can see in the pools that the cities curtis cities could cities in the crisis region have um some of the highest rates of support for commercial in the whole country. but there are 2 more groups though, social speaking youth, 5300000 people will vote for the 1st time. this indeed selections. of course, the role that has been very smart and addressing them directly. so they will be they will determine the outcome of the election very significantly and then women and here particularly pious women, muslim, you know, practicing muslims who used to be at an outdoor space. but add on has, in his panic to reach out to, you know, a new parties to expand his alliance mates. in my opinion, critical mistakes by reaching out to, to is almost fundamental us political parties that are already threatening to take

back some of the gains that women have hub, which of course, also affects the pious women. plus, of course you didn't mentioned the economy is being really bad and it's women that really see the effects of that. so i think it will be the use women plus of course, the kurds, as always, they're going to determine the outcome of the selection. we're going to come back to the economy in a moment, but let's talk about the young people. 13000000 of the 64000000 techs eligible to vote are under 25 years old. let us hear a few of their voices as reported by julia han who was out on the streets, talking to young people a been existing system now. so i would like to see it democratic touchy, the people are doing well economically and have more human rights on live in the homes, get ahold of you to, to go to a gastric there is only given by one lady told to be more television. she unlocked into accepting each other, even with all that difference of it. even coming into the checklist that took some

boss and engagement. there was so many of us who really wants to see change. uh, this selection might be our last tom. so i always level loveliness. and julie, as i mentioned, you did speak to those young people. do you think sentiments like the ones that we heard there could prove decisive in the selection? or i think they could be very decisive if we look at the poles and majority of young people want change. they are unhappy with how the economy is being governed. they are unhappy with their future prospects. they also strongly oppose claim downs on lifestyles, democratic rights, and freedoms. this is according to the data we have. and then of course, uh, you know, chemical stole and ready to type out on a bowl so much older than the young voters. they're trying to sway, but i think what we've seen and coastal as campaign, he's really strategically using social media to address the young voters often from

his modest kitchen table at home. he is basically telling, telling them, look, i'm here for you, i'm going to solve your problems and these videos a very popular among the young voters. i found myself asking as i was a thinking about that appeal of whether he in this sense the bernie sanders of the of turkey. but i decided perhaps that goes too far. let me ask you a child about another group of workers who are considered of voters who are considered very, very important. namely, the working class blue color voters, their sentiments have in the past, tended to support it. the other ones party, the a k p. where is the working class, and now as we see, the economy plummeting is such a polarized country that's, you cannot generalize any group like, look who's cubes, when, like cetera. so each party has their own share from them. but we have the biggest

coalition now into a case history against the glove. so we had spoken about workers, you of social democrats, liberals, nation of this is for as long as, as you be g can community, all of these codes really amazing. we haven't seen something like this, the full and the only common ground for this is no hatred to fed them and they really want to have a democratic country. this is really very important and i hope it will have an effect. i want to come back later to what a coat coalition. that broad means for governing later on uh should in fact when, but let me 1st talk a little bit about the questions that are upper most in voters. minds are the issues and do you like it long seemed as if nothing could unseat or the one, but that began to change after february's earthquake and the accusations of corruption and crisis mismanagement that followed it. there was even speculation

that out of one might put off the election because he was so concerned potentially that this would have a derogatory effect for him. how determinative, do you think that the earthquake is proving in voters minds? i think it has. it has been very critical indeed. i mean do us quick effect at 11 improvements in total and many of which are actually traditionally out on space. so these are some of these places, cities, prominence is, are those knots traditionally voted for ad on, um, but it was, i mean, of course it was a very big earthquake. but what was really remarkable. i mean, what caused that to a lot of this was the us, her author, lack of any this search and rescue efforts for days for days because there was nobody there that was no one showed up. and that, of course, the contradiction of a political party which speaks about compassion you had on and,

and being there for the poor and the sort of control and power mightiness, right. and that, that's on the one hand. and then alter the failure of the state. basically there were no, there was no institutions that was nothing. and i think that really affected a lot of a lot of people and tested certainly well, i think we'll see that in the results. let's take a look at another concern that many voters say is uppermost in their minds, and it's been mentioned several times. the economy are the ones arbitrary, and idiosyncratic policies has sent inflation, skyrocketing and depress standards of living in turkey, a long faces at the mouth. it's customers are buying less and less. the country's economy has been in free full for years and years. we're going to all purchasing how it has gone down there telling you're going. i used to go to that restaurants over there a lot and the prices were okay because,

but now i can't afford it anymore. you just get it according to the all star as he's inflation. is it 43 percent. in reality, however, it is more than twice as high. the toxicity rate has also increasing the lost value in recent years. shopping through the how does the scholarship in the student job and it's also enough icons are for doctors visits and i can barely make ends meet on top of that. housing escapes and expensive. many tucker's people blame this on realty far, and those from russia will the arab gulf states, as well as the 4000000 refugees from syria. the situation is particularly 10 cindy as craig zones, when many homes have been destroyed, will the economic situation route another one's presidential election? let me pass that question straight on to you, julia. if i may and you're reporting, are you witnessing rising shots, social and economic precariousness,

that could impact the selection as well? the economy is really on top of voters minds. i mean people have been basically seeing their savings melt away. they say they can hardly keep track of the price hikes. nobody believes official installation fee goes any more. an independent experts say the real finger is at least twice as high and even middle class families tell me they find it harder and harder to afford a decent standard of living. and of course, the poor have been hit hardest because of food prices. prices for very basic staples of vegetables for bread has been skyrocketing in recent years. so there is a lot of frustration and anger here. and john, you know, bill clinton famously said uh back in one of the elections when he was running. it's always the economy, stupid, it's always about the economy. but as we heard in that report just now when it

comes to housing at least many a k p voters blame for an interest for that rather than add one for their plight. and it seems that some pools indicate that they are doing the same when it comes to economic precariousness. that they say, no, it's not the fault of the leadership. it's the fault of outside interest. what is that, what's, what's happening there? it's the power root propaganda. if you follow some turkish pro government tvs or read newspapers, you can understand why. i mean, you the spending 5 hours in front of a tv only spreading propaganda for ad on and y'all, unfortunately, that's worked really well for the last decade and they don't believe that's at the one could lose something. all the christian world. it gets to a key and unfortunately those media together with ad on the made people believing

that's, that's kind of very onto west in on t christian feelings for the opposition candidates kalonde to uh, to each dog unit is viewed as someone who's very quiet, almost safety self is facing and absolutely focused on reconciliation. can he really go up against that kind of the survey this information and succeed the look? well, it's an appeal, that's all that's a, that's, that's true. i mean, as john said to you, our goal on has total control over the state, media, public schools, casting newspapers, etc. but then there's social media. he cannot control everything. i mean, he did attempt to, to try to close the youtube, but he just, there's, there's also louis police power outage on is not as might be as putting so i think we also need to see that and we were talking about the use made in the you know, that's why control is there smart using the social media you, you and it also mentioned that um, so there's a, there is

a degree into which 1st of all are doing can continue controlling. and the 2nd thing is they will always be these pull our doe on very close to the data base. the question then is, what is happening on the other side? what's really important is that for, for the 1st time ever, political position is being close to the dates and they really breaking boundaries . can we start a little comes from this very secularist, a political party that used to advocate the very middle some speculative secularism . he's now been his coalition. they have, you know, he's side by side by a political party that he used to advocate islamic the, you know, funded mental is me per se. but they are breaking all these barriers and i'm really, i'm really hopeful, in terms of the unity that they're showing in leading the nation. and you know, you go support or your showed how it for young people. a lot of these positions matters less and less because you know, they wanted to let stay with another life identity. politics has reached its limitations. i think in turkey,

so we have very few minutes left on the clock. let me ask all of you to talk a little bit about scenarios after the election. so usually i, let's say that in fact uh, the opposition candidate, mr. because it started wins and, and the other one doesn't take away from trump's book, but in fact, concedes the election ton, the opposition coalition, which is so disparate as we just heard from d. like kind of really stay together and govern this very polarized, potentially fragmented country. as well right now as d, like mentioned, they are united by one common goal rights to oust president add one. but the certainly concerns that this fragile alliance of 6 potty might just implode at a certain point. there has been certainly leading up to them announcing their joined candidate, mister calisto, would there have been fights for one representative of the party. the leader of the party met at auction i was about to leave the table. so this is a major challenge,

especially if you look at what they are willing to do, nothing less than fixing a broken economy. and turning the system around returning to parliamentary democracy, re restore the independence of institutions. this is a huge task, a huge challenge, and it's not going to be easy for chemical clips dot low to, to run the country to go for. and that's for sure, very quickly. do like what would be the top for and policies prior or priorities? i asked earlier, why the world should care, what would he do differently from our to one in present, he will turn his face to the, to the west. he's going to reach out to the you and to go international institutions to may tell you one, etc. and really, i mean that, that's will be the biggest change. he already said that's um, they're going to back, they're going to pursue, you know, membership. i think the most important change will be that he will, it will be, he will be open to communication and dialogue. things will be differently. i think

it's really important that the west east. that's the importance of this. john, the stakes are very high. we ask in our title, outer ones moment of truth, but in many ways this is a moment of truth for democracy itself. what happens if everyone stays in power? well to if you will be more to grad teach, i guess, and more getting more away from europe and more close to the putting hands. oh, i don't think that it will take so much time that you can not be able to run the country anymore. we because i mean, we had spoken above 50 percent of the people against him. it won't be so easy, but this will be caught in the darkness for 2 of these future. thank you very much and i just want to give you a chance to end on a more positive note. you told us you are cautious. we helpful. yeah, i mean,

this view is behind julia is going to view i used to have from my home. so this decision of the people that determine my future as well, would you go home? if you look started, went the next day. thank you very much. thanks to all of you for being with us. and thanks to our viewers for turning and check out our youtube side, tell us what you think about the show. the,

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