Turkey’s Erdogan Is Losing Support Where He Can Least Afford It
An 800-kilometer journey from the president’s hometown to Turkey's capital, Ankara, shows his party is alienating voters ahead of elections in 2023.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s popularity is waning amid pandemic-induced hardship.
Photographer: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
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The anger sweeping along highways linking the humble hometown of Turkey’s leader and his plush lodgings in Ankara’s presidential palace is flashing a code red warning for Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Tea growers, fishermen, small retailers, café staff and gas-station attendants -- some of the typically low-paid, laboring Turks who have formed the backbone of Erdogan’s support over his two decades atop Turkish politics -- are giving up on the ruling party as the cost of living surges.