Rémi Trieau / Photo credit: BURAK KARA / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP 14:23 p.m., May 28, 2023

While the Turks vote this Sunday for the second round of the presidential election, Europe 1 went to the Fatih district of Istanbul, in Erdoğan's stronghold. Despite the economic crisis and the regime's authoritarian turn, his supporters continue to support the outgoing president.

He could stay 5 more years in power in Turkey. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the favorite for a new term, as Turks are called to the polls for the second round of the presidential election on Sunday. The outgoing head of state was almost five points ahead of his main opponent in the first round. Europe 1 went to the Fatih district in Istanbul, Erdoğan's stronghold, where the majority of ballots slipped into the ballot boxes are for him.

"They say he's a dictator, but he was, they couldn't say it."

Fatih is a conservative stronghold in Istanbul's historic peninsula. It is the cradle of the powerful Turkish religious brotherhoods that support Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Despite the economic crisis and the authoritarian turn of the regime, Hadjer, in his fifties, defends his president against criticism. "They complain about the price of potatoes and onions, but you can deprive yourself of it. On the other hand, you cannot live without your homeland. They say he's a dictator, but if he did, they wouldn't be able to say it," she said.

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In this very pious district, President Erdoğan is appreciated for his Islamo-conservative policy. Melih, a student, did not hesitate before slipping his ballot into the ballot box. "I voted Erdoğan," he said. "In a country with an 80 percent or 90 percent Muslim majority, the veil was only completely allowed in public places five or six years ago. And that's thanks to Erdoğan."

The Turkish president multiplied the addresses to this conservative electorate during the campaign, repeating that he took his orders from God, defending the sacredness of the family and attacking LGBT people in all his meetings. In the first round, he came out ahead in Fatih with 52% of the vote.