The interaction of political economy and politics, two basic perspectives affecting voters' perspectives in Turkish political life after 2002: Ideology and economy

Political economy analyzes the interaction of economic and political systems, focusing on market behavior in the last quarter of the twentieth century. In the post-2002 period in Turkey, ideology and economic perspective almost acted together. Recently, the combination of conservative Islamic values and neoliberal economic policies in Turkey has had a profound impact on the views of voters. While the role of religious beliefs in politics has increased, especially in rural and conservative regions, market-oriented reforms in the economy have produced both positive and negative results. This has created a complex political landscape that makes it difficult for voters to make decisions considering ideological and economic factors. After 2002, Turkish voters began to adopt a leader-oriented approach rather than party or ideology, and strengthened conservative ideology and neoliberal economic policy. However, while Türkiye is facing intense immigration and economic difficulties, voters have felt the economic pressures and have become more careful in making election decisions. In this context, the thesis study is about the main factors underlying the success of the political power, which has a political history of nearly a quarter of a century, to remain in power; It aims to examine its role in Turkish political life in the context of ideology and economy. In addition to the ambiguous question of how political stability and economic stability affect the length of time a political power lasts, the study seeks answers to questions such as which of these two factors has a more decisive role or does the combination of the two provide a more sustainable power. The research consists of three parts: the concept of political economy, voter behavior and transformations in Turkey after 2002. The historical context of ideology-economy interaction is discussed in the light of its social effects and current developments.