Home ›› 14 May 2023 ›› World Politics
At a bus station in Antakya, a city razed to the ground by Turkey’s devastating earthquake, emotions remain raw and voters divided ahead of Sunday’s pivotal elections
The Yener family’s building partially collapsed in February’s 7.8-magnitude tremor, which killed more than 50,000 people and unleashed a wave of anger at the government’s delayed rescue and recovery work.
Like many others forced to flee their homes in this ancient cradle of civilisations near the Syrian border, they returned to take part in Turkey’s biggest vote of modern times.
Metin Yener and his wife Zubeyde will vote for Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the secular rival to long-serving Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamic-rooted government is fighting for its political life.
“These elections are important. We have hope,” Metin told AFP with a smile, as his family waited at the station after brav-ing a five-hour bus journey.
In his tiny store stacked with water bottles, crisp packets and batteries sold to time-pressed travellers, shopkeeper Mithat cannot wait to have his say in the presidential and legislative polls.
“During the earthquake, the state abandoned us. In the first three days, no one came to our aid,” the 55-year-old said, withholding his surname for fear of getting into trouble.
Mithat also declined to state his voting preference, wanting to keep it a secret. “But I will vote with my conscience,” he said.
Serdal Anil has no qualms about openly showing his support for Kilicdaroglu, leader of the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP) and head of a six-party opposition alliance seeking to end more than two decades of Erdogan rule.
The 21-year-old has been living in a tent with his parents for three months, regretting how tough life had become since the earthquake and an economic crisis experts say was exacerbated by Erdogan’s unorthodox policies.
