İstanbul is the jewel in the crown of political targets. It sets trends, is buzzing with life and economic activity and would rightly deserve the title the Pearl on the Bosporus. Many more citizens migrated to İstanbul than went to such cities as İzmir, Ankara or Antalya. Winning in İstanbul was a must-have in 2009, particularly due to its diverse voter base. Let us again travel further south to reach İzmir. A swing of more than 20 percent of the vote in İzmir seems impossible; hence, the CHP will retain a stronghold for years to come. İzmir is a success story in itself and shows that local politicians can deliver regardless of which party they represent or belong to. Without promoting tourism, having an international airport, direct foreign investment, free trade zones and a cosmopolitan feel, İzmir would not be what it is today. Can it be that some local politicians may have better strategies than those at party headquarters?
Last stop: "The cradle of history," oft forgotten and neglected by most political parties, who now realize that their voter appeal in the southeast of the country is close to zero -- except for the AK Party -- although the prime minister's Midas touch did not work out as envisaged. Election managers and fellow citizens must understand that this part of the nation is another highly traditional part. Despite the success of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), which aimed at improving rural and urban infrastructure, over there voters seem more "traditional," too. Promoting tourism, organic agriculture and helping more small and medium-sized enterprises open up for business will perhaps re-shape that impression. The cradle of history will soon become the eastern border of an enlarged European Union and will carry geopolitical weight, too. I haven't even touched upon the energy relevance of the region.
I intended to provide a snapshot, and of course had to add a few personal observations. What I realized is that Turkey has a diverse political landscape or "political geography," and one has to travel to its regions and towns to really understand who votes for which party and why. Not all is as it seems, and one visit for sure is not enough. Most importantly we have to talk to the people -- we may not always like what we see or hear, but that is democracy. You need time, too; let me take you back to Çorum, where I worked advising a local company. Over there, business and employment are the key issues, much less so which political party you represent. The local hotel doubles as a meeting place for politicians, businesspeople and guests alike -- just ask the hairdresser in that hotel, and you will get all the details. Feeling the pulse of voters is a fascinating exercise which I highly recommend to all of our readers who are really interested in understanding this country. We do not have to be as professional as Peter Kellner, for example, a leading UK pollster; just going to towns and listening, not talking, is the best methodology.
Why did I only write about two political parties: to help our foreign readers put local results into perspective and to highlight that there is a system of government and opposition -- of course, duly changing between either one -- in a state of evolution which may last for years, if not decades, to come. In another article, I will come back to the topic of elections, although this time, writing about the link between Turkish local sentiments and future European elections.
