Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's approval rating rose 2.1 percentage points in January, a poll by Metropoll Research showed on Thursday, as the Turkish lira steadied in recent weeks on the back of government measures despite soaring inflation.
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Under pressure from Erdogan and despite high inflation, the central bank has slashed interest rates by 500 basis points since September, triggering a currency crisis that saw the lira plunge last month to 18.4 to the dollar, its weakest level ever.
Inflation has jumped to a 19-year high of 36%, seriously eroding earnings, especially of working and lower middle class Turks who form the electoral base of Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AKP.
The government has introduced fiscal measures to ease the currency volatility, but the lira is still 46% weaker than a year ago and Erdogan, who wants to boost exports and credit, has refused to change course despite mounting criticism.
According to Metropoll, Erdogan's approval rating rose from 38.6% in December to 40.7% in January. The number of those who do not approve of the president has fallen 2.8 percentage points in that time, it said. Erdogan's disapproval rating still remained higher though, at 54.4%.
Despite the rise in popularity, Erdogan's approval ratings are still at a multi-year lows. Turks have cited economic woes and mismanagement as the top reasons for their dissatisfaction with Erdogan's government of 19 years.
