The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is the party that receives the most votes from the young generation, the head of the party’s youth branch Eyyüp Kadir Inan said

Inan, nominated by the AK Party as a member of Parliament for Izmir province, told Daily Sabah in an exclusive interview that the party managed to renew itself and stay young over the years as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan analyses the demands and needs of the Turkish youth correctly.

"It is not possible for a party that has been ruling for 20 years to come to these days without convincing the millions of youth coming from below and without getting their votes," Inan underlined. "Although the opposition tries to manipulate this, we started with 10 million in 2002 and continued our path with 26 million votes in 2018."

"The only way to achieve this success is to get the vote of those voters who will vote for the first time. Undoubtedly, the AK Party is the first party that received the most votes from the youth," Inan said.

He elaborated that according to opinion polls, the AK Party ranks first in the upcoming elections on May 14. In addition, the AK Party also became the party that showed the highest number of young parliamentary candidates for the elections.

Türkiye’s parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for May 14. The polls are considered highly critical in the backdrop of the two-decade leadership of Erdoğan, which has seen economic booms, giant development projects and a failed coup. At the same time, a six-party opposition coalition contests him.

In the upcoming elections, almost 6 million young people will vote for the first time, constituting 1.8% of total voters. Considering the high number of young voters that will cast their votes in local elections, parties have been underlining the need to persuade young voters.

Saying that the youth branch continues its work in the field, Inan reminded us that the unit has close to 1 million members and 81 provincial organizations.

"We shape our work by creating programs in whatever field and wherever needed. We have made one-on-one contact with millions of young people in hundreds of programs we have carried out so far," he said.

Inan pointed out that programs are prepared in two stages; operationally and intellectually.

The branch prepared brochures under the title "Our direction is the youth for 21 years," which elaborates on the works of the AK Party made toward the youth in its 21 years of government.

"Since it would be a thick book if we included all the works, we chose the most important actions and innovations. And we distributed them in our provinces. Our provincial organizations go from door to door in our 81 provinces and tell our young brothers and sisters about the activities of our AK Party," he continued, saying that the branch also organizes several get-togethers with the youth under various programs, including Ramadan programs and celebrating the birthdays of those becoming 18 years old and eligible to vote.

On the other side, the youth branch was also actively responding to the deadly earthquakes of Feb.6 as part of the Cemre Movement, Inan said.

"We, as AK Youth, are a big family that touches every young person with our new projects and works, listens to their needs and demands, and takes action at this point," Inan highlighted.

Speaking on claims by the opposition that the AK Party fails to attract young voters, Inan said: "The best answer we can give to those who say that this generation does not support and is moving away from the AK Party is the elections we have won for 20 years and the countenance we have received from the youth."

Rejecting talks of a "Gen Z" as a categorization made through imported descriptions, Inan added: "We say there is no Gen Z but the 'Generation of Teknofest,'" referring to an annual event aimed at allowing young people to showcase their abilities in technological fields, such as rocketry and robotics.

"Just as the efforts made for the youth so far, the same efforts will continue in the upcoming period," he said, underlining that the Century of Türkiye will be the Century of Youth.

"In this century, young people will grow up as hardworking and determined individuals committed to their values, knowing what they want. What we have done for the youth in 20 years is self-evident. Our actions, which are the guarantee of what we will do, are also obvious. If a service is to be provided for the youth in this country, it will undoubtedly be done by the AK Party and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," he concluded.