On June 15, 2018, the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Forum Medien und Journalismus Wien (fjum) hosted a seminar for journalists on Austria on Turkey’s June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections. Entitled “Understanding Erdoğan’s success at home and abroad”, the seminar brought two highly respected observers of Turkish politics to address the questions: Why is Mr. Erdoğan so popular in spite of corruption scandals, restricted passport policy, dismissal of thousands of civil servants after the coup attempt in 2016, incarceration of journalists, silencing of the media, and war incursion in Syria? What is the basis of the regime’s success?

The seminar aimed to increase the knowledge of Austrian journalists on the dynamics of the Turkish presidential and parliamentary elecitons and thereby contribute to more informed coverage of the vote.

Speakers:

• Gürkan Özturan, journalist and executive manager of the dokuz8NEWS, specialised in right wing populism
• Murat Yıldız, expert in criminal justice and security sector reform and a former senior officer within the Turkish police force

Özturan spoke to the participating journalists about the general environment in Turkey ahead of the June 24 elections and analyzed the AKP party’s changing rhetoric over the course of its period in power, ranging from promises of stability to intimidation. He quoted figures indicating that 81 percent of AKP supporters access only pro-government media, adding that over 150 journalists were currently behind bars in Turkey.

Yildiz looked specifically at members of the Turkish diaspora in Austria and their voting behaviour. He noted that Turkish migrants to Austria generally come from conservative Anatolian areas and highlighted the relatively high levels of unemployment of such migrants in Austria. Yildiz also critically examined the AKP’s operations in Europe and Austria through organizations that promote its aims.