In an election being closely watched around the world — one that could have consequences for Turkey’s ties with Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., as well as for conflicts from Syria to Ukraine — many voters are worried about bread-and-butter issues.
ISTANBUL — For Kemal Sen, a locksmith, the two issues that mattered most to him as he prepared to cast his vote in a critical Turkish election were “stability and the economy,” though he seemed most concerned with his wallet.
, the influx of refugees or rising violence against women. Even some supporters said he deserved censure, though they were not sure he should be replaced. They were united in their concerns about the economy, marked over the past few years byLast year, “if you were able to buy 10 kilos of meat, now you can only afford eight kilos,” said Sen, who is 39 and married with four daughters. Goods that were imported at his store had become more expensive because of the exchange rate.
She blamed the faltering economy on “Syrians and other foreigners” who had settled in Turkey. “This is not an issue of racism for me,” she said. “I know that they’ve had a war in their country. But I don’t find it right that they’re here. For example, I can’t pay 14,000 lira in rent,” she said, or about $720 per month. “I earn minimum wage, which is 8,500 lira [per month]. And my husband also works. We have a student in university. We barely make ends meet.
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