Two young Turks sit at a narrow table in a sidewalk cafe, drinking tea and smoking. Melike Celik is among over 5 million first-time voters who dreamed of a change. But now hope is almost extinguished. – I’m not very hopeful, no. Hope disappeared when Sinan Ogan went out and supported Erdogan in the 2nd round, says the 19-year-old. The ultra-nationalist Ogan got just over 5 percent in the first round of elections. Thoughts about a future in another country have begun to sprout. – There are many people talking about leaving. We’re also considering it, the friends say in unison, without having any thoughts about where they want to go. WANT TO GO: Melika Celik (19) and her friend Nehir (17) are sitting in a cafe in Istanbul when news meets them. They prefer not to show their faces. Photo: åse marit befring / news – Even Syria will do, says her friend Nehir (17) and laughs. They will not come forward with a photo since their parents vote for Erdogan. The number of young people between the ages of 20 and 34 who emigrated from the country increased by around 30 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year, according to Turkey’s Statistical Institute. That despite the fact that it was a pandemic year. The figures for last year, which is the first year after the pandemic, have not yet been published. 5 NEW YEARS: Erdogan has already served two terms as president, and may be elected for a third time Photo: Reuters5 NEW YEARS: Erdogan has already served two terms as president, and may be elected for a third time Photo: Reuters Associate Professor at Sabaci University in Istanbul’s Berk Esen believes the brain drain will intensify if Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins. – The brain drain has already begun, and it will only increase. But I think many are waiting until the final election results are clear in the hope that they will escape, he believes. THE WEST: People with higher education will seek the West, says associate professor Bert Esen Photo: åse marit befring / news But if there is no change, he believes a wave of highly educated Turks will seek the West for both economic and political security. Alternative solutions to the crisis The fear is that the already shaky economy will get worse if Recep Tayyip Erdogan gets five more years as president. He has met the soaring inflation with unorthodox methods, because he does not want to raise the interest rate. – The lira will undoubtedly fall because it is being artificially held up. With a weaker lira, we will enter a recession with increasing unemployment and poverty. Turks who have tried to maintain a certain standard of living will have it much worse, Esen believes. PRICE GROWTH: Many can no longer afford to shop as before due to skyrocketing prices Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news After the first round of elections, the markets reacted negatively. And before the weekend, Turkey’s foreign exchange reserves fell below zero for the first time since 2002. That is, until the year Erdogan’s AKP party came to power. – The economic model we have now is not sustainable, and it will take full effect after the election. We will experience instability and little predictability in both the political and economic arena, believes Esen. Under Erdogan’s rule, freedom of expression has also been stifled. Turks risk having the police knock on their door for writing or sharing something on social media that the authorities believe is fake news. And can be sentenced to up to three years in prison for insulting the president. LEADER: Recep Tayyip Erdogan (69) most likely to win the presidential election Photo: AP The difficult choices – If Erdogan wins again, all Turks will leave, Resul Huseynzade said when I met him in January this year. The climate activist was one of over 5 million voters who were going to vote for the first time. I also met him just before the election and he was very optimistic and dreamed of all the opportunities they would have to influence society in a different direction if Erdogan lost. When I contact him again, the tone is different. – The next day I couldn’t bear to get out of bed, says the 18-year-old in a mournful voice. He has recovered from the shock and started planning something he never wanted. – I’m actually thinking about leaving. Here we will no longer have any human rights, freedom or legal certainty if Erdogan wins again, he says gloomily. PLANNING A NEW LIFE: Resul Huseynzade has started making plans for a life in another country. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news He says that many people he knows at universities and colleges have already started applying. The 18-year-old organized the climate protests in Istanbul in 2019 when millions of young people took to the streets worldwide inspired by Greta Thunberg. But since then, the climate for protests in Turkey has hardened. – As an activist, I risk being arrested if I stay, he fears. But he does not give up until the result is clear. Now he is spending the last hours before the election that will decide his future to convince the doubters. EXPENSIVE: At a market in Fatih in Istanbul, the clothes are cheaper, but still too expensive Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news
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Many people are talking about leaving – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
