ISTANBUL – The Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) national support will increase despite recent demonstrations and attacks perpetrated by Gülen Movement supporters within the judiciary and the police. Recent polls by Pollmark and GENAR indicate that the AK Party's votes have significantly increased in the run up to the March 30 local elections. According to Pollmark's most recent survey conducted among 5,200 individuals on March 8 to 11 in 26 cities, 49.4 percent of voters stated they will vote for the AK Party, while 49.5 percent stated they trust Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The survey found that 25.8 percent of voters supported the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition party in Turkey, while 14.2 said they will vote for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The Dec. 17 operation, allegedly prepared by agents of the Gülen Movement to discredit Turkey's AK Party, has backfired according to Turkish media outlets. Recent poll results conducted by Pollmark and GENAR indicate that the AK Party's votes have significantly increased in the run up to local elections that will be held on March 30.

According to Pollmark's most recent survey conducted among 5,200 individuals on March 8 to 11 in 26 cities, 49.4 percent of voters stated they will vote for the AK Party, while 49.5 percent stated they trust Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The survey found that 25.8 percent of voters said they will vote for the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition party in Turkey, while 14.2 said they will vote for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). In metropolitan municipalities, 49.4 percent of the people surveyed stated they will vote for the AK Party, while 28.3 percent said they will vote for CHP. Results do not differ substantially in other municipalities, where the AK Party is expected to receive 49 percent of the votes, while CHP's votes dropped to 14.9 percent.

Pollmark also asked those surveyed if they think the government is successful, to which 47 percent answered "yes," while 14.9 percent said the government is "partially" successful, and 34.4 percent said they do not think the government is successful. Additionally, 49.5 percent stated they think the prime minister is successful, while 12.4 percent said he is "partially" successful, and 34 percent said they do not think he is successful.

GENAR's results show similar figures with 48.8 percent of voters saying they would vote for the AK Party, 28 percent stated they would vote for CHP, while 13 percent stated they would vote for MHP.

In Istanbul, 38 percent said they preferred CHP's candidate Mustafa Sarıgül, increasing the party's votes by 5 points, while AK Party's candidate, Kadir Topbaş, is expected to recieve 50 percent of the votes.

In İzmir, the AK Party's votes have significantly increased with former Minister of Transportation Binali Yıldırım as the party's candidate and reducing the gap between the AK Party and CHP down to 7 percent.

The opinion polls conducted throughout the country indicate that strong candidates such as Binali Yıldırım and Mustafa Sarıgül have increased their parties' votes in specific regions and the AK Party's overall votes have especially increased while illustrating that many people have not changed their opinions despite the Dec. 17 operation to discredit the ruling AK Party government.