Survey shows Hakan Fidan as top choice to replace Erdogan if he does not run

A recent survey conducted by SONAR Research across 26 provinces with 3,202 participants revealed significant political preferences among Turkish voters.

If President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not run again, the majority of respondents favor Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as his replacement.

In the CHP, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu leads as the preferred presidential candidate, narrowly surpassing Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas by less than 1%.

Public opinion on key issues

Turkish columnist Ugur Dundar shares the mentioned survey in today’s article.

Role of Abdullah Ocalan in the peace process

62.5% of respondents said they would be uncomfortable if the PKK ringleader played a significant role in disarmament efforts, while 25.4% said they would not mind.

Expulsion of military personnel:

61.2% found the dismissal of five cadets and three officers over graduation ceremony activities unjustified, while 20.5% supported it.

Erdogan’s stance on PKK disarmament

52.6% approved of Erdogan’s remarks on the PKK laying down arms, while 32.2% disapproved.

Arrest of journalists from Halk TV

57.3% opposed the detention of journalists and the arrest of editor-in-chief Suat Toktas, while 22.5% supported it.

Legal actions against Ekrem Imamoglu

62.3% saw the lawsuits against Imamoglu as political pressure, while 24.2% viewed them as a matter of justice.

Who is seen as the most successful minister?

22.7% named Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as the most successful minister.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, and Environment Minister Murat Kurum followed him.

However, 36.4% of respondents said “none of them.”

Presidential candidate preferences

If Erdogan does not run, Hakan Fidan is the top choice for the People’s Alliance presidential candidate, with 35.4% support.

If CHP leader Ozgur Ozel does not run, 31.1% of respondents prefer Ekrem Imamoglu, while 30.4% favor Mansur Yavas as the opposition’s candidate.

CHP prepares for primary election on March 23

As preparations continue for the CHP primary election on March 23 to determine the party’s presidential candidate, the process for collecting nomination signatures started on Tuesday.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who had previously pointed to Friday as the day he would announce his candidacy, is expected to submit his official application to CHP headquarters today.

Meanwhile, former CHP lawmaker Dursun Cicek has also announced his candidacy for the party’s primary election.