First-time voters may have decisive say in Turkish election

Turkish university student Yunus Efe has known only one leader of his country - Tayyip Erdogan. As he prepares to vote for the first time in elections this month, the 22-year-old says it is time for change.

Efe is one of more than 6 million first-time voters expected to cast ballots in the May 14 election. Roughly 10% of the electorate, their votes could prove critical in deciding whether Erdogan's rule continues into a third decade or comes to an end.

A toddler when Erdogan came to power in 2003, Efe said his vote will go to the opposition's Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who he believes will strengthen rule of law, human rights and freedom of expression - which critics say have suffered under Erdogan.

"I am definitely concerned about freedom of expression. In fact, I experience this every day but we do not realize it because we got used to living this way," said Efe, describing how he thinks twice before liking or sharing social media posts.

Human Rights Watch, in a 2022 report, said thousands of people have faced arrest and prosecution every year in Turkey for social media posts, typically charged with defamation, insulting the president, or spreading terrorist propaganda.

Ankara says its measures are necessary to fight disinformation spreading on media and internet.

Efe said he had been apathetic about the elections and politics "like many young people", but was now excited to vote and attracted by the promises of Kilicdaroglu and his Republican People's Party (CHP), one of six parties allied against Erdogan.

"I think that the rights can be restored and justice can be re-established," Efe said, speaking in central Istanbul.

The sentiment points to the challenge facing Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party as they try to rally support for the presidential and parliamentary polls, with their popularity hit by a cost-of-living crisis and dizzying inflation.

Sensing their best chance yet of unseating Erdogan, his opponents are promising to reverse many of his signature policies, including abolishing the all-powerful presidency seen by critics as a symbol of his drive to wield ever greater control.

Reporting by Reuters