AFP election analysis: earthquake survivors at risk of not being able to vote

Less than a month before the critical elections in Turkey, the world press is closely following the atmosphere in Turkey.

The French news agency AFP published a noteworthy report that the earthquake disaster that struck Turkey on February 6 risked thousands of people, whose houses were destroyed and had to leave their homeland, unable to vote.

In a story headlined “Turkey Earthquake Victims Fear Exclusion from May Elections”, it was commented that the May 14 elections were too dangerous for President Erdogan, who had to apologize after the earthquakes.

It was pointed out in the news that more than 3 million people left for other cities after the earthquakes, and it was reminded that those who could not change their polling place until April 2 could not vote if they could not return to the earthquake. zones

‘THEY WANT TO AVOID PROTEST VOTES’

According to the opposition, AFP commented that the government was trying to prevent earthquake victims from voting so early on the date of the change of residence, calling the May 14 election “the most important election in Turkey after the Ottoman period.” ”.

AFP described the May 14 election as “the most important post-Ottoman election in Turkey.”

Speaking to AFP, CHP’s Kahramanmaraş MP Ali Öztunç said that many people who lost their families and homes were not in a position to change their address until April 2, saying: “Only 50,000 out of 820 thousand registered in Kahramanmaraş were able to change their address.” Pointing out that it is very difficult to transport hundreds of thousands of people to the city to vote, Öztunç said: “This means removing thousands of buses and a huge traffic jam. No party can organize this,” he said.

The AFP news also included criticism of CHP Vice President Onursal Adıgüzel, “They are afraid of the victims and are doing everything to prevent them from voting.”

A young man named Ali, whose family disappeared in the Antakya earthquake and who himself moved to Ankara, told AFP they were abandoned after the quake, saying: “It is important to reflect our anger at the ballot box.”

An earthquake survivor named Abdullah from Kahramanmaraş said he tried to prevent the authorities from changing his electoral address. Abdullah, who is staying in a temporary house in Ankara, said: “I was told that if I change my address, I will lose my right to receive earthquake benefits. Now I don’t know if I can go to Kahramanmaraş in the elections,” he said.