Political elections have been characterized as important events that can shape individuals' collective memory (Hacıbektaşoğlu et al., 2023). The 2023 presidential elections in Turkey can be considered a critical stage in Turkey's political history, which has been argued to have a substantial impact on Turkish collective memory. In this study, 680 Turkish adults (90.4% female, Mage = 38.87, SD = 10.62) completed Episodic Information for Election Day (when will the elections be finalized, when will the final results be announced) and future thinking questions (what might happen if People's Alliance or Nation's Alliance wins), also the valence and the timing of the expected events. Results showed that 60.9% of participants anticipate first-round election finalization, and 86.3% expect the Nation's Alliance candidate to win. Moreover, the importance and valence that individuals attribute to the election change depending on the given future scenario: The Nation's Alliance win is viewed as more positive and important, while the People's Alliance win is seen as more negative and less important. While the sample was dominated by individuals expecting the Nation’s Alliance to win, the variation in individuals’ expectations was still linked with the content and the valence of Turkey's alternative future scenarios. Findings will be discussed focusing on the mechanisms underlying the alternative perspectives for the future.

References
Hacıbektaşoğlu, D., Tekcan, A. İ., Bilge, R., & Boduroglu, A. (2023). The impact of group identity on the interaction between collective memory and collective future thinking negativity: Evidence from a Turkish sample. Memory & Cognition, 51(3), 752–772.