Outside a busy coffee shop in Istanbul, many customers are not old enough to know life under any leader other than President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for 22 years.
The afternoon sun has people in good spirits and tables are packed, but young people here say they are afraid for a future under the only president they have known.
Fati Aktas, 22, voted in local elections but it is his first time voting in a general election.
He will cast his vote on Sunday for Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the secularist Republican People's Party (CHP), who Mr Aktas believes “will treat people equally”.
Analysts estimate that millions of first-time voters, who make up about 8 per cent of the electorate, will sway the tightly contested election.
The large Turkish diaspora is also expected to play an important role. However, unlike Turks abroad, who have traditionally supported Mr Erdogan, young people are generally expected to favour the opposition.
Mr Aktas sits among a group of friends, all university graduates and colleagues at the local Starbucks coffee shop. It is not the life they envisioned for themselves.
“I want [Erdogan] to go because I'm scared for my future,” said Sultan, 25, who is voting for the second time.
“Economically, it's getting worse day by day. I'm a university graduate but I can't find a job in my area. I'm working in Starbucks. It's not what I wanted to do.
“I really want people to rule for two terms and not much more because long-term rulers become part of dirty politics,” she said.
In a tight election race, the President has capitalised on identity politics to fend off public anger over the economy, which has buckled under record inflation. But it is not the only issue at play, with many backing the opposition's pledges to “bring back democracy”.
Bedia, 22, said she has had enough of politics but will still vote on Sunday.
“I want Erdogan to go because if my brothers need new shoes and I can't afford to replace them, I would be heartbroken … I can’t buy what I like because I can barely afford things I need.”
“It upsets me. I'm a young woman, I want to have fun, but I don't. Because of this, I want him to go. This is the first time I have the right to vote, and I'll use it to throw him in the bin.”
'A full democracy'
Across the Bosphorus, a rally for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is taking place amid a heavy police presence, with the rally only accessible through several police checkpoints. Armoured vehicles and riot police stand nearby.
The people gathered here are older. Women walk past in colourful Kurdish dresses and men outside sell merchandise for Amed Football Club from the southern city of Diyarbakir — or Amed in Kurdish — the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey.
Last month, students at Istanbul's renowned Kartal Imam Hatip school issued an open letter backing Mr Kilicdaroglu, a blow to Mr Erdogan, who attended the school and later sent his sons to the institution widely associated with the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP).
At the rally, a 20-year-old former pupil and signatory of the open letter told The National why he was voting for the opposition.
“They've been there since I was born,” he said, referring to the AKP. “This is the first opportunity for change and a full democracy.
“We wanted to take responsibility and create another view of Turkish politics,” he said.
“No one is used to supporting a different political group in a public way, it's always done in private.”
“We want people to care for the public, both economically and socially. A state in which the judiciary is really independent.”
Asked his biggest hope for the future, his answer was simple: “definitely democracy”.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Price: From Dh149,900
The years Ramadan fell in May
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
RESULTS
5pm: Watha Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Dalil De Carrere, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Pharitz Al Denari, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mahmood Hussain
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Oss, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Almajhaz, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Lewaa, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud.
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
