Turkish-German candidate Elif Eralp eyes Berlin mayor’s office

Elif Eralp, the leading candidate for the Left Party (Die Linke), could become Berlin’s first mayor of Turkish descent — in a city of 3.9 million people that is home to Germany’s largest Turkish community, the Financial Times reports.

Polls show Die Linke running neck and neck with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. However, the CDU is facing the fallout from the unpopularity of Berlin’s current mayor, as well as nationwide dissatisfaction with Merz.

Eralp, the daughter of Turkish left-wing activists, said she joined Die Linke in 2017, the same year the Alternative for Germany (AfD) entered the German parliament for the first time.

Following a major transformation, Eralp’s party attracted a large number of new supporters, reaching 123,000 members by the end of 2025.

In Berlin, Die Linke’s pledge to expropriate 220,000 flats from what it calls “brazen” corporate landlords has resonated with younger voters. The city was known in the 1980s and 1990s for vacant properties, low rents and squats. However, population growth and private investment over the past two decades have transformed the housing market, driving up rents.

In 2021, 58% of Berliners voted in favour of a referendum calling for the expropriation of properties owned by corporate landlords. Die Linke has made clear it intends to honour that mandate by taking properties from investors such as DAX-listed Vonovia, which owns around 130,000 residential units in Berlin.

The cost of the plan is disputed, with estimates ranging from €7 billion to €36 billion. Die Linke argues that the expenditure would gradually be recouped through rental income generated by the city. Eralp also wants to introduce the same restriction on 400,000 publicly owned flats.

Even if Die Linke comes first, it remains unclear whether Eralp would become mayor. The CDU could still seek coalition partners to form a majority in the regional parliament.

Eralp said she hopes other parties will reach an agreement with Die Linke. “Ultimately, if we become the strongest in Berlin, then our policies will also prevail,” she said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov