Erdoğan's approval rate at 40.7 percent, poll shows

Duvar English - Reuters

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's approval rating rose from 38.6% in December to 40.7% in January, poll by Metropoll Research showed on Jan 20. 

The number of those who do not approve of the president has fallen 2.8 percentage points in that time, it said. Erdoğan's disapproval rating still remained higher though, at 54.4%.

Despite the rise in popularity, Erdoğan's approval ratings are still at a multi-year lows. Turks have cited economic woes and mismanagement as the top reasons for their dissatisfaction with Erdoğan's government of 19 years.

Inflation has jumped to a 19-year high of 36%, seriously eroding earnings, especially of working and lower middle class Turks who form the electoral base of Erdoğan's Islamist-rooted ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). 

The government has introduced fiscal measures to ease the currency volatility, but the lira is still 46% weaker than a year ago and Erdoğan, who wants to boost exports and credit, has refused to change course despite mounting criticism.

Erdoğan, who received more than 52% of the vote in the 2018 presidential election, has long been touted as a masterful campaigner. Despite repeated calls from opposition parties for early elections, he has said presidential and parliamentary votes would be held as planned in mid-2023.

Polls have shown Erdoğan would lose to Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu - both from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) - as well as İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener, at the next elections. 

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