AKP and CHP Trade Rival Claims Ahead of Türkiye's Dual Election Year

Ankara, January 2007. With both presidential and parliamentary elections looming, poll numbers have become a point of sharp dispute between Türkiye's two leading parties.

Sabah columnist Metehan Demir reported that, during a flight to Lebanon aboard Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's plane, Erdogan shared internal AKP polling data. According to Erdogan, support for his Justice and Development Party (AKP) stood at roughly 30.4 percent among decided voters, while the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) had slipped below its November 2002 result of 19.39 percent. Erdogan also suggested no other party would clear the parliamentary threshold.

CHP leader Deniz Baykal rejected those figures outright. Baykal called the numbers a distortion, claiming that sources within AKP itself put CHP support near 25 percent and AKP well below 30 percent.

Both leaders cited different internal data, leaving the true state of public opinion unresolved ahead of what promises to be a consequential electoral cycle for Türkiye.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in January 2007, in its own words.