A World Observer :
A different kind of vote

Television ads, thorough news coverage, near-obsessive polling and strangers coming to your door to sway your vote are all quite ordinary in the run up to any U.S. election. In Turkey, the situation is a little different.

I am currently studying abroad in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and also have a degree of background knowledge about the country. So naturally, ahead of the American midterm election, I can’t help but notice certain differences between the voting systems in the U.S. and in Turkey.

Undeniably, the U.S. is an advanced democracy in comparison to Turkey and, as time passes, voting in Turkey probably resembles more of the American system. The benefit of American-style political process is that the voter has the opportunity to make more informed decisions. There is more transparent debate, more information is shared in the public arena and opinions are more freely expressed.

In Turkey, the election time mood is, in my opinion, more intense than in the U.S. Here people do not call your house at random times during the day vying for your vote, but the media are more aggressive and more polling takes place. Like in the U.S., unfamiliar people start ringing your doorbell.

Part of election time intensity stems from the Turkish culture of political communication. Here, everyone who has something to say, says it. More importantly, any given eligible citizen is more inclined to vote. This can be seen in traditionally high voter turnout. Also, the degree of influence people’s opinions have on each other is higher here than in the more individualistic American culture. The deeply, socially intertwined nature of Turkish society results in more group identification and rivalries. When the fact that Turkey has more than 20 political parties is added to the equation, the high level of public contention is not surprising.

One major factor differentiating the U.S. and Turkish voting systems is lifestyle. As a result of the American-lifestyle all the phone calls, polling and media constitutes the best way to reach out to voters – perhaps the only way. In Turkey, people are crazy about their cell phones, television and newspapers but have more human contact. Especially university-aged Turks, with their more socially enmeshed daily lives, seem to be quite eager to participate in the political process.

The majority of young voters in Turkey are very astute when it comes to political matters, perhaps, even more so than their American counterparts. For example, otherwise peaceful lectures at Bilkent University, the school at which I am currently studying abroad, can morph into heated yet articulate exchanges.

Surprisingly, many here complain of the lack of younger politicians. Actually, it should not be that surprising. Young Turks, like many young Americans, could benefit from translating their keen views into increased political effectiveness.

Future columns will cover the aspects of the Study Abroad program. If you have any questions, suggestions, or are curious about anything related to Yakin’s semester at Bilkent University, please feel free to contact him at yakin@rider.edu.

—Baris Yakin