The numbers show that things are not going well. Türkiye currently. Inflation is at 44% (compared to 85% in October) and analysts say it is likely higher than official figures show. Meanwhile, the pound is collapsing, falling 76% in the last presidential term. Recep Tayyip Erdogan (as of 2018).

In the midst of all this, 1.5 million people were left homeless due to devastating february earthquakewhich claimed the lives of 50,000 people in the south of the country and exposed the extent of Ankara’s clientelism and corruption. The list goes on.

The rules of democracy are simple: When the economy suffers, the culprit is punished. However, Sunday’s vote showed that Erdogan remains the most popular figure in Turkish politics. The 20-year-old leader won 49% of the vote, just short of the 50% needed to avoid a second round. Where his victory is expected on May 28, notes GZERO. He defied polls that placed him second behind rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a technocrat who leads a six-party opposition coalition. So what explains Erdogan’s great appeal?

Raising wages has also been a priority for Erdogan’s campaign, a move that has resonated in a country where more than 40 percent of workers earn the minimum wage. Voters tend to care less about runaway inflation and currency crises when they receive public money.