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Nearly 57% of Turkish citizens would want President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lead the country in the event of war, more than all other political leaders combined and three times the support for his nearest competitor, according to a new poll.
The GENAR Research survey cited by Turkish media outlet Hurriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi on Monday found that 56.8% of respondents chose Erdogan when asked who should lead Türkiye in a potential war scenario—"a question gaining relevance as the U.S. prepares for possible military action against Iran and Israel continues operations against its neighbors," according to Selvi.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel came second with 20.3%, while the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli placed third with 4.5%. Imprisoned former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtas ranked fourth at 3.4%.
The former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was removed from office and arrested last year on corruption charges, and Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas, both prominent figures in domestic politics, failed to gain traction on international crisis management, polling at just 2.3% and 1.3%, respectively.
The poll claimed significant cross-party support for Erdogan's crisis leadership.
Among CHP voters, 13.5% said they would prefer Erdogan to lead during wartime. Among MHP voters, the figure rose to 68.6%, while 24.2% of supporters of the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) also chose the president.
Hurriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi noted that Erdogan "is perceived as a global leader due to his strong leadership and successful moves during crisis moments."
"When it comes to international issues, Erdogan is in a position above politics," Selvi wrote, adding that, "That's why the trust in Erdogan is not surprising."
However, Selvi also observed that one-third of CHP voters do not want their own party leader, Ozel, to be in charge of Türkiye during a crisis.
The January 2026 survey also measured party voting intentions, showing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leading with 33.5%, followed by CHP at 31.2%.
DEM Party placed third at 9.7%, with MHP fourth at 8.2%. Good Party (IYI Party) polled at 5%, while the newly formed Key Party rose to 4.2%. The New Welfare Party received 2.6%, the Victory Party 2.5%, and the Workers' Party of Türkiye (TIP) 1.2%.
Selvi noted that voting intentions have remained largely unchanged over the past year, describing Turkish politics as going through "a stagnant period while the world is changing."
Trust in economic management continued to decline in January 2026, according to the survey.
The share of respondents saying they "do not trust" or "do not trust at all" the economic management rose to 67.6%, up from 64.8% in December 2025.
Those expressing confidence in economic management fell from 18.5% in December to 17.6% in January.
Inflation and cost of living remained the top concern for Turkish citizens, cited by 28.8% of respondents as the country's most important issue.
"The economy continues to be AK Party's soft spot," Selvi wrote.
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