One million young people to cast first votes in Turkey’s upcoming local elections

Duvar English

In Turkey’s upcoming local elections on March 31, 61.44 million people were registered as voters, with 1.032 million of them being first-time voters aged 18 and above after the last elections in 2023, according to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) data.

Some 50.59 percent of the voters were women and 49.41 percent were men.

The upcoming elections will see the election of mayors for all 81 provinces, 973 districts, and 390 towns, along with 50,336 neighborhood heads (mukhtars). Additionally, elections for provincial general assembly membership and municipal council membership will also take place.

Islamist opposition Felicity Party stood out among others with a significant number of young candidates, totaling 208. A candidate is considered young when they are 30 and below.

Radical Islamist and government’s ally Just Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR) took second place with 160 young candidates while former government ally far-right Islamist New Welfare Party (YRP) ranked third with 109 young candidates.

Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party nominated 60 young candidates, the right-wing opposition DEVA Party 48, and the government ally far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) 31 candidates. 

Additionally, the right-wing Democrat Party (DP) has designated 26 young candidates, the main opposition Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) has 25, and the left-wing Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) has 19

In contrast, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) ranked second to last among the parties in parliament, fielding nine young candidates. Bringing up the rear, the right-wing Future Party became the last one with just seven candidates.