Türkiye’s election results show Erdogan’s control over the earthquake-stricken region

[1/2] Ayse Kıkık, an earthquake survivor who lives in a tent with her son, stands in front of her tent with a poster of Turkish President Erdogan on it, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey on May 11, 2023…. Read More

Erdogan’s party led in 10 of the 11 earthquake-hit provinces More than 50,000 people were killed, millions were displaced by earthquakes, earthquake victims complained about the government’s slow response, and many still believe Erdogan is the best to rebuild the region.

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) took the lead in Sunday’s elections in 10 of the 11 quake-hit provinces in February, with analysts saying his pledge to rebuild shattered cities has reassured voters in most of the AKP’s strongholds. and development. .

The ruling party’s strong performance, which defied initial predictions in February that earthquakes would damage its support, was also fueled by doubts about the opposition’s ability to meet voters’ expectations.

Nationally, the Islamist-rooted AKP won a new parliamentary majority with its coalition partners, while Erdogan, 69, comfortably led the presidential election ahead of a runoff with his main rival on May 28.

Powerful earthquakes on February 6 killed more than 50,000 people and displaced millions in Turkey, wreaking havoc in 11 provinces from Adana near the Mediterranean coast to Diyarbakir in the Kurdish-majority southeast.

Despite the huge number of dead and wounded and the mass exodus after that, voter turnout is still very high in the region, ranging between 85-89% in most of the eleven governorates and more than 80% in the other governorates. The national average was 88.9%.

Many Turks who fled the area have returned to vote.

Kurdish voters in the region came out strongly to support Erdogan’s main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, in the presidential race, but the president was still ahead in voting in eight affected provinces.

Kilicdaroglu, 74, was clearly ahead in two provinces and in the hardest-hit Hatay province, each with 48% support, with the opposition leader narrowly ahead.

anger

Critics and earthquake survivors have expressed outrage at the Erdoğan government’s slow initial response to the quake and lax enforcement of building codes – failures they said were costing lives.

But dozens of people Reuters spoke to shortly after the quake said they were grateful for the help of the government and security forces, while complaining that they had arrived too late. Interviews since then have provided little evidence that the case will change the way people vote.

Ibrahim Kadir Demir, who lost his daughter and grandchildren in the earthquake, said he was happy with the government services, adding, “I hope our president won (in the first round).”

Aslihan Cengiz, an opposition supporter, said she expected a bigger backlash against the AKP in her home province of Hatay – the hardest hit by the earthquakes – but added that her more devout electoral base may have helped her.

“(AKP voters) say the earthquake was an act of God,” Cengiz said, also saying that AKP constituencies in Hatay saw less destruction than areas that tended to support the opposition.

Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party has prioritized construction during its 20 years in power, and that has helped drive economic growth.

Pollster Muhammad Ali Qulat said the opposition alliance had failed to win over enough voters and they had finally put their faith in the government to improve their plight.

“Earthquake survivors were very critical of the government’s response in the polls and said they wouldn’t vote for them. But these people were also looking for an answer to the question ‘Who will rebuild my house, who will rebuild my workplace?'” He said.

“They see that Erdogan is the one who can do it. This is one of the most important factors,” he added.

Additional reporting by Darren Butler; Editing by Gareth Jones

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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