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Why is Erdogan afraid of free bread?

Turkey's main opposition party has successfully turned the pandemic into an opportunity by building a dynamic grassroots movement in the face of authoritarian rule.

A migrant carries breads he bought in a shop in Karaagac district near Turkey's Pazarkule border crossing with Greece's Kastanies, in Edirne, Turkey, March 10, 2020. REUTERS/Marko Djurica - RC21HF9CFTXY

The COVID-19 pandemic has made life difficult for everyone, especially for those battling poverty. In 2019, official figures said 18 million, or 22% of Turkey's population, were living below the poverty line; these numbers have likely increased this year as unemployment and inflation have risen, in large part due to the coronavirus. 

Turkey's 2019 municipal elections tipped the balance in favor of the opposition in local governments. The municipalities headed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) govern 48.4% of the population. Although the Justice and Development Party (AKP) led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grabbed power from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party in many municipalities, the AKP’s control of local government is still second in rank to the CHP's.

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