Election
Voting underway in Gazipur City Corporation election
Voting in the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) election began on Thursday (May 25, 2023) using electronic voting machines (EVMs) in all polling stations in a peaceful manner.
The voting began around 8 am and will continue till 4 pm without any break.
Eight candidates are contesting for mayoral posts in the election and there are 248 councillors and 79 female councilor candidates.
A total of 11,79,476 voters are eligible to vote and of them, 5,92,762 are men and 5,86,696 are women, and the number of transgender people is 18.
Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana said that Gazipur City Corporation voting will be held in a free and fair environment and voters can cast their vote peacefully.
Also read: Gazipur city polls will be free and fair, says EC commissioner
The commissioner said this while exchanging views with journalists after a meeting with magistrates on maintaining law and order in the Gazipur City Corporation election at Gazipur Circuit House on Wednesday.
The election commission will monitor the election through CCTVs, which were set up in all polling stations.
Tight security
A total of 13,000 law enforcers have been deployed to maintain law and order during the election, said Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) Molla Nazrul Islam on Wednesday.
“ 20-22 members of law enforcement agencies will perform duty at each centre. I hope a free and fair election will be held with the efforts of all amid foolproof security,” he told UNB.
Twenty platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have been deployed alongside 30 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Ansar members, said Returning Officer Faridul Islam.
Read more: 13,000 law enforcers to be on polls duty: GMP Commissioner
Mobile teams will be there in 57 wards while 19 striking forces led by 19 magistrates will remain vigilant at the polling centers.
New visa policy to help PM Hasina's govt in holding fair elections: US
The United States has indicated their new Bangladesh-specific visa policy will help Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government in its efforts to hold free and fair elections.
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government have committed to supporting free and fair elections in Bangladesh. This policy is designed to support these efforts and the Bangladeshi people, so they may hold elections to choose their leaders," said the US Embassy in Dhaka, in a message to journalists just after the new policy was announced.
The United States said they support free and fair elections everywhere.
Also read: New US visa policy declared targeting next Bangladesh polls
The message also contained a set of FAQs with responses, through which it clarified certain points that may likely arise in people's minds.
To start with, the US Embassy said this policy applies to any individual responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh. This includes current or former Bangladeshi officials, government supporters, and opposition members, among others. This would also include the immediate family members of such persons.
The United States said they are committed to building a strong partnership with the government of Bangladesh grounded in democracy and human rights.
"We welcome the Prime Minister’s expressed commitment to holding free and fair elections," said the US Embassy.
Also read: US govt’s new visa policy does not bother Bangladesh government: Shahriar Alam
The United States emphasised it does not support any particular political party, and that their handling of this policy would not favour anyone over another - except on the grounds of undermining electoral democracy.
"Restrictions under this new policy target individuals engaging in behavior that undermines the democratic election process, regardless of affiliation."
It also assured that it is a general practice to notify individuals whose visas are revoked or cancelled.
Given US' "close cooperation" with the government of Bangladesh, the US informed it of this policy decision on May 3.
Read more: New visa policy to be implemented fairly on govt & oppn: Donald Lu
Turkish anti-migrant party backs Erdogan's rival in presidential runoff
A hard-line anti-migrant party on Wednesday threw its weight behind the opposition candidate who is running against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in this weekend's runoff presidential race.
Umit Ozdag, the leader of the far-right Victory Party, announced his support for main opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who will be facing off against Erdogan on Sunday. He said he decided to back Kilicdaroglu over his promises to repatriate millions of migrants.
Ozdag's announcement came just days after Sinan Ogan, the third-placed contender in the first round of the presidential election on May 14, endorsed Erdogan in the upcoming runoff. Ogan was the joint candidate of an alliance of small conservative parties, led by Ozdag's Victory Party.
Erdogan received 49.5% of the votes in the first round of the presidential race — just short of the majority needed for an outright victory — compared to Kilicdaroglu's 44.9%.
Also Read: How Turkey's president maintains popularity despite economic turmoil
Erdogan's ruling party and its nationalist and Islamist allies also retained a majority in the 600-seat parliament — a development that increases Erdogan's chances of reelection because voters are likely to vote for him to avoid a splintered government, analysts say.
In an apparent attempt to woo nationalist voters in the runoff, Kilicdaroglu hardened his tone last week, vowing to send back refugees and ruling out any peace negotiations with Kurdish militants if he is elected.
Kilicdaroglu, 74, is the joint candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, which has pledged to reverse Turkey's authoritarian drift under Erdogan and return the country to a parliamentary democracy with increased checks and balances.
Turkey is home to the world's largest refugee community, including 3.7 million Syrians. Anti-migrant sentiment is running high in the country amid economic turmoil, including high inflation, and the issue of the repatriation of migrants has become a main campaign issue.
Bangladesh's upcoming national polls will be under AL govt: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday made it clear that the next general election in Bangladesh will be held under her Awami League government and it will be free and fair.
“So under our government, definitely election will be free and fair,” she told a session titled "In conversation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina" of the Qatar Economic Forum at the Raffles Hotel here in Doha.
Haslinda Amin, editor-at-large of Qatar Economic Forum anchored the session.
The prime minister is now in Doha on a three-day official visit mainly to take part in the Qatar Economic Forum 2023.
Her assertion came as the opposition BNP and its allies have launched a renewed campaign of street protests asking her government to step down to pave the way for holding the next election under a neutral caretaker administration.
Also Read: PM joins opening session of Qatar Economic Forum
Bangladesh is due to go to polls by December this year or in the first week of next year.
Responding to a question, she said that after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, military dictators jeopardised all election process.
“The election was just a game (then),” she said.
She recalled that when the Awami League elected her as its president back in 1981 in her absence only then she could return to the country.
“Since then we started to struggle for restoring democracy and people’s right to vote. It was our struggle to ensure free and fair election. And we did it during our time in every election,” she said.
Regarding the opposition BNP's demand, Hasina, also the president of ruling Awami League, said that in 2008 election nobody raised any question about it.
“What was the result then? The party (BNP) which is raising the question now got only 29 out of 300 seats in the Parliament,” she said.
Sounding firm the prime minister said that she is here to ensure people’s voting right, Because people should decide who will run the country.
“It is people’s power, I want to ensure people’s power. I am here not to grab power. Rather I want to empower our people that they should have their right to choose their government,” she said.
Replying to a question, Hasina mentioned that now some parties said they will not participate.
“How will they participate? Because during their time the country suffered a lot. Our people suffered. At their time terrorist activities increased. Everywhere there was corruption, nepotism and exploitation. They never bothered about the people. It was very difficult for our people to get one meal per day. That was the situation,” she said. She said that after the Awami League came to power it has ensured everything for the people.
“It's the people’s right to vote in election. What we have done now the people understand that. If they vote for us I am here, if they don't, ok fine,” she said clearly.
Also Read: PM reaches Doha for Qatar Economic Forum 2023
The PM said that during her tenure there had been many by-elections, local government elections, which were free and fair.
“You can see, who is creating problem. We are not. But in every election some incidents may take place,” she said.
She also mentioned that the government has asked everybody to send election observers to Bangladesh for the next voting.
“So I can tell you I am here to ensure my people’s democratic right, voting right and it is our struggle," she stated.
She said that she is here to serve the country and its people so they could live a better and prosperous life.
“Bangladesh should be a developed country, that is my aim. Why should I try to jeopardise people’s right that we have established. Definitely election will be free and fair.”
She also termed BNP as a party of criminals and killers.
“They (BNP) may not feel comfortable. But, there are other parties, those parties will participate in the election," she said.
Replying to a question IMF's recent loan to Bangladesh, PM Hasina said the IMF assists only the country that can repay the loan. In providing the loan, the IMF considered whether the country can pay it back or not, she said
"We'll definitely be able to pay it back," said the PM.
The premier said Bangladesh has successfully overcome the fallout of COVID-19 pandemic due to her government's pragmatic plans and steps.
13,000 law enforcers to be on polls duty: GMP Commissioner
A total of 13,000 law enforcers will be engaged to maintain law and order during the Gazipur City Corporation election slated to be held on Thursday (May 25, 2023), said Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) Molla Nazrul Islam on Wednesday (May 24, 2023).
“ 20-22 members of law enforcement agencies will perform duty at each centre. I hope a free and fair election will be held with the efforts of all amid foolproof security,” he told UNB.
Campaign in the Gazipur City Corporation election has ended and the local administration has taken all-out preparation to hold the polls.Twenty platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have been deployed alongside 30 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Ansar members, said Returning Officer Faridul Islam.Already the EVM machines and all necessary materials have been sent to the polling centers while CCTVs were installed at all polling centres.
Read more: SCC elections: 387 aspiring candidates inc.11 for mayor submit nomination papersMobile teams will be there in 57 wards while 19 striking forces led by 19 magistrates will remain vigilant at the polling centers.
Already 351 polling centres out of 480 have been declared vulnerable and additional forces will be deployed at these centres, said FDaridul.Gazipur City Corporation election will be held on Thursday, using electronic voting machines (EVMs) at all polling stations.Eight candidates will contest for mayoral posts in the election and there are 248 councillors and 79 female councilor candidates.A total of 11,79,476 voters are expected to exercise their franchise and of them, 5,92,762 are males while 5,86,696 are females and the number of transgender is 18.
Read more: SCC elections: 387 aspiring candidates inc.11 for mayor submit nomination papers
Calling 2018 National Election ‘fair’ in the morning, BNP changed its tune in the evening: Sajeeb Wazed
Describing the national election in 2018 as “fair and participatory” – while speaking to the media – in the morning on election day, BNP changed its tune in the evening as results were coming in, Sajeeb Wazed, ICT Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has said.
Posting a compilation of news clips on his verified Facebook page on Friday (May 19, 2023) night, Sajeeb Wazed highlighted remarks made by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain when voting started on election day in 2018, and how they “changed tune” later in the day – blaming the government for “their own failures.”
The video posted by Sajeeb Wazed, who is also the chairman of Center for Research and Information (CRI), shows news clips featuring Dr. Kamal and Mirza Fakhrul, saying on national election day in 2018, that voting was being held “in a fair manner.” BNP leaders expressed satisfaction about the voter turnout as well, but when counting of votes began in the evening, they changed their position and announced boycott of the polls, the video says.
Read more: Sheikh Hasina’s return ushered in a new era for Bangladesh: Joy
In the video, Dr. Kamal is heard saying, “I find it encouraging that so many people have turned up to vote on this cold winter morning. Where I voted, voting seemed fair, but after seeing the results, we will decide whether to accept the results of the election or not.”
BNP and its allies decided to boycott the election after losing by big margins, the video said, adding that since then, the party has failed to provide evidence to support its claim of irregularities in the 2018 national election. BNP-Jamaat and their allies continue to make allegations of “night vote” in discussions and talk shows but they never present proof validating their claim, the video posted by Sajeeb Wazed says.
The video also mentions reports of Jamaat-e-Islami opening fire to capture a voting center in Banshkhali, Chattogram, during the 2018 election. An attempt was made to capture a center in Noakhali too, and BNP men carried out the attack, it says. An Ansar member was killed in Kushtia during the election, the video says.
Read more: BNP more focused on ballot stuffing, capturing state power than on public safety: Joy
The video also says there have been allegations in several media reports that BNP candidates did not get enough support from the center in the 2018 national election.
In his post, with the video, Sajeeb Wazed wrote, “The leaders of BNP and Oikya Front lost the election by a huge margin. In the anti-Awami League media, a group is trying relentlessly to establish the 'night vote' theory. So far, they have not been able to present any specific evidence to support their claim. Representatives of international observer groups termed the election ‘fair.’ BNP itself is the reason for its defeat.”
‘They want change’: Opposition parties win big in Thailand election on promises of reform
Ballots tallied Monday showed voters in Thailand wanted change after nine years under a former general who took power in a coup, with the main opposition parties easily besting other contenders in the general election.
The opposition Move Forward Party outperformed even optimistic projections and appeared poised to capture almost all 33 House seats in the capital Bangkok. Along with the Pheu Thai Party, the favored opposition group, Move Forward campaigned for reform of the military and the monarchy.
Move Forward put those issues closer to the heart of its platform, earning a more radical reputation. Its outspoken support for minor reforms of the monarchy, while winning younger voters, antagonized conservatives committed to the royal institution.
Incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who came to power in a 2014 coup, was blamed for a stuttering economy, pandemic response shortcomings and thwarting democratic reforms — a particular sore point with younger voters.
Also Read: Thailand's opposition secures election victory against army-backed conservative establishment
“This is people saying that we want change," said Saowanee T. Alexander, a professor at Ubon Ratchathani University in northeastern Thailand. "They are saying that they could no longer take it. The people are very frustrated. They want change, and they could achieve it.”
With more than 99% of ballots counted early Monday, Move Forward appeared to have a small edge over Pheu Thai, whose leaders conceded Sunday they might not finish on top following voter turnout of about 39 million, or 75% of registered voters.
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat tweeted that he is ready to bring about change should he be the country’s 30th prime minister.
“Whether you agree or disagree with me, I will be your prime minister. Whether you have voted for me or not, I will serve you,” he wrote.
Read More: Thailand’s election may deliver mandate for change, but opposition victory may not assure power
Sunday's winner is not assured the right to form the new government. A joint session of the 500-seat House of Representatives will be held with the 250-member Senate in July to select the prime minister, a process widely seen as undemocratic because the military appointed the senators, who will vote along with elected lawmakers.
Move Forward captured just over 24% of the popular vote for the 400 constituency seats in the House of Representatives and nearly 36% for seats allocated in a separate nationwide ballot for 100 members elected by proportional representation.
Pheu Thai lagged slightly behind with just over 23% for constituency seats and about 27% for the party list.
The tally of constituency votes gave 113 House seats to Move Forward and 112 to Pheu Thai, according to unofficial results Monday from the Election Commission.
Prayuth’s United Thai Nation Party held the fifth spot in the constituency vote with almost 9% of the total, but placed third in the party-preference tally with close to 12% and 23 House seats in the constituency vote.
The three parties were considered the most likely to head a new government. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 36-year-old daughter of billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was favored in opinion polls to be the country’s next leader.
Move Forward’s 42-year-old businessman leader Pita now seems a likely prospect.
Pheu Thai won the most seats in the 2019 election. But its archrival, the military-backed Palang Pracharath Party, cobbled together a coalition with Prayuth as prime minister and unanimous support from conservative Senate members appointed by the military government after Prayuth’s coup.
Ubon University’s Alexander cautioned that the current situation remains “very unpredictable" and the results could be unilaterally affected by the Election Commission, which previously disqualified opposition parties or otherwise undermined challenges to the conservative establishment.
She noted the Bhumjaithai Party, which came in third, could be a “swing vote” since the combined Move Forward and Pheu Thai seats may not be enough for a majority coalition. Bhumjaithai controls a large bloc of votes in the northeast and helped put the military-backed coalition into power.
Move Forward’s Pita is a possible target for what the opposition, from bitter experience, calls dirty tricks. A Palang Pracharath candidate last week filed a complaint with the Election Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Commission claiming Pita failed to list a stock shareholding on a statutory assets declaration. Pita denied any wrongdoing in the minor, technical claim.
However, the leader of the Future Forward Party, forerunner of Move Forward, lost his Parliament seat on similar technical grounds. His party, also considered a radical challenge to the military-backed royalist establishment, was dissolved.
Tyrell Haberkorn, a University of Wisconsin Thai studies scholar, said there is a chance street protests could be trigged again if Move Forward meets the same fate as its predecessor.
“The time is up for the generals and their allies in the palace and the courts. The military can either listen to the voters and step down gracefully, or lead the country into chaos,” Haberkorn said.
As Erdogan’s votes dip, Turkey appears headed to a runoff presidential race
Turkey’s presidential elections appeared to be heading toward a second-round runoff on Monday, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled his country with a firm grip for 20 years, leading over his chief challenger, but falling short of the votes needed for an outright win.
With votes of Turkish citizens living abroad still being counted, results from the state-run Anadolu news agency showed Erdogan had 49.3% of the votes, with his main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu garnering 45%.
Erdogan, 69, told supporters in the early hours of Monday that he could still win. He said, however, that he would respect the nation’s decision if the race went to a runoff on May 28.
The vote was being closely watched to see if the strategically located NATO country — which has a coast on the Black Sea to the north, and neighbors Iran, Iraq and Syria to the south — remains under the control of the increasingly authoritarian president or can embark on a more democratic course that was envisioned by Kilicdaroglu.
Also Read: Turkey Election: Runoff likely as Erdogan fails to secure majority of votes
Opinion polls in the runup to Sunday’s vote had given Kilicdaroglu, the joint candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, a slight lead over Erdogan, who has governed Turkey as either prime minister or president since 2003.
Kilicdaroglu sounded hopeful for a second-round victory.
“We will absolutely win the second round ... and bring democracy” said Kilicdaroglu, 74, maintaining that Erdogan had lost the trust of a nation now demanding change.
This year’s election came amid a backdrop of economic turmoil, a cost-of-living crisis and a February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people. Western nations and foreign investors are also awaiting the outcome because of Erdogan’s unorthodox leadership of the economy and often mercurial but successful efforts to put Turkey at the center of international negotiations.
Also Read: Partial results in Turkey's election show President Erdogan leading, state-run news agency says
As in previous years, Erdogan led a highly divisive campaign in his bid to stretch his rule into a third decade. He portrayed Kilicdaroglu, who had received the backing of the country’s pro-Kurdish party, of colluding with “terrorists” and of supporting what he called “deviant” LGBTQ rights. In a bid to woo voters hit hard by inflation, he increased wages and pensions and subsidized electricity and gas bills, while showcasing Turkey’s homegrown defense industry and infrastructure projects.
Kilicdaroglu, for his part, campaigned on promises to reverse crackdowns on free speech and other forms of democratic backsliding, as well as to repair an economy battered by high inflation and currency devaluation.
The election results showed that Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party was also set to retain its majority in the 600-seat parliament, although the assembly has lost much of its legislative power after a referendum to change the country’s system of governance to an executive presidency narrowly passed in 2017.
Anadolu news agency said Erdogan’s ruling party alliance was hovering around 49.3%, while Kilicdaroglu’s Nation Alliance had around 35.2% and support for a pro-Kurdish party stood above 10%.
“That the election results have not been finalized doesn’t change the fact that the nation has chosen us,” Erdogan said.
More than 64 million people, including the overseas voters, were eligible to vote and nearly 89% voted. This year marks 100 years since Turkey’s establishment as a republic — a modern, secular state born on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
Voter turnout in Turkey is traditionally strong, despite the government suppressing freedom of expression and assembly over the years and especially since a 2016 coup attempt. Erdogan blamed the failed coup on followers of a former ally, cleric Fethullah Gulen, and initiated a large-scale crackdown on civil servants with alleged links to Gulen and on pro-Kurdish politicians.
Erdogan, along with the United Nations, helped mediate a deal with Ukraine and Russia that allowed Ukrainian grain to reach the rest of the world from Black Sea ports despite Russia’s war in Ukraine. The agreement, which is implemented by a center based in Istanbul, is set to expire in days, and Turkey hosted talks last week to keep it alive.
But Erdogan also has held up Sweden’s quest to join NATO, contending that nation has been too lenient on followers of the U.S.-based cleric and members of pro-Kurdish groups that Turkey considers national security threats.
Critics maintain the president’s heavy-handed style is responsible for a painful cost-of-living crisis. The latest official statistics put inflation at about 44%, down from a high of around 86%. The price of vegetables became a campaign issue for the opposition, which used an onion as a symbol.
In contrast with mainstream economic thinking, Erdogan contends that high interest rates fuel inflation, and he pressured the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey to lower its main rate multiple times.
Erdogan’s government also faced criticism for its allegedly delayed and stunted response to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that left 11 southern provinces devastated. Lax implementation of building codes is thought to have exacerbated the casualties and misery.
As key votes loom, Turkish parties vow to send migrants home
For Nidal Jumaa, a Syrian from Aleppo, life in Turkey is tough. He works part-time at a furniture workshop and collects plastics and cardboard from trash cans that he sells for recycling, but can hardly afford the rent for his run-down house in a low-income neighborhood of Ankara.
Despite the hardship, the 31-year-old would prefer to remain in Turkey than return to Syria where he no longer has a house or a job. Most of all, he worries that his 2-year-old son, Hikmat, who requires regular medical supervision following two surgeries, wouldn't be able to receive the treatment he needs back home.
“Where would we go in Syria? Everywhere is destroyed because of the war,” Jumaa said. “We can’t go back. Hikmat is sick. He can’t even walk.”
Also Read: Turkey’s opposition denounces fairness of vote under Erdogan
Syrians fleeing the civil war — now into its 12th year — were once welcomed in Turkey out of compassion, making the country home to the world’s largest refugee community. But as their numbers grew — and as the country began to grapple with a battered economy, including skyrocketing food and housing prices — so did calls for their return. A shortage of housing and shelters following a devastating earthquake in February revived calls for the return of Syrians, who number at least 3.7 million.
The repatriation of Syrians and other migrants has become a top theme in Sunday's presidential and parliamentary elections when the country will decide whether to give incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a new mandate to rule or bring an opposition candidate to power.
All three presidential hopefuls running against Erdogan have promised to send refugees back. Erdogan himself has not mentioned the migration issue on the campaign trail. However, faced with a wave of backlash against refugees, his government has been seeking ways to resettle Syrians back home.
Also Read: Turkey’s Erdogan faces tough election amid quake, inflation
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the joint candidate of an alliance of opposition parties that includes nationalists, says he plans to repatriate Syrians on a voluntary basis within two years. If elected, he would seek European Union funds to build homes, schools, hospitals and other amenities in Syria and encourage Turkish entrepreneurs to open factories and businesses to create employment.
Kilicdaroglu has also said that he would renegotiate a 2016 migration deal between Turkey and the European Union, under which the EU offered the country billions of euros in return for Ankara's cooperation in stemming the flow of refugees into European countries.
“How long must we carry this heavy load?” Kilicdaroglu said in an address to ambassadors from European nations last month. “We want peace in Syria. We want our Syrian brothers and sisters who took refuge in our country to live in peace in their own country.”
Sinan Ogan, a candidate backed by an anti-migrant party, says his government would consider sending Syrians back “by force if necessary.”
Faced with mounting public pressure, Erdogan’s government, who long defended its open-door policy toward refugees, began constructing thousands brick homes in Turkish-controlled areas of northern Syria to encourage voluntary returns. His government is also seeking reconciliation with Syrian President Bashir Assad to ensure the refugees’ safe return.
The Syrian government, however, has made normalization of ties conditional on Turkey withdrawing its troops from areas under its control following a series of military incursions, and on Ankara cutting support to opposition groups.
“Realistically speaking, implementing the promises (of repatriation) is much harder than restoring the (Turkish) economy,” said Omar Kadkoy, an expert on migration at the Ankara-based TEPAV think tank. “At the end of the day, if the opposition comes to power or if the government stays in power, I don’t really see how they could repatriate 3.5 million Syrians in two years.”
Kadkoy continued: “Assad is so maximalist with his demands from Turkey to accept millions of people back. I don’t think Turkey is ready to meet his demands.”
Around 60,000 Syrians crossed the border into northern Syria following the earthquake, after Turkey relaxed regulations allowing them to return to Syria and remain there for a maximum of six months. The move allowed refugees to check on family or homes in quake-hit areas of northern Syria. It was not immediately known how many have crossed back into Turkey, or plan to do so.
Kadkoy says high inflation and a cost of living crisis have made life for Syrians in Turkey difficult.
“But when compared to ... having no place to stay, no functioning democracy ... where you might be subjected to bombing and shelling at any given moment, (Syrians) prefer the bad conditions here in Turkey over having nothing in Syria,” he said.
In Ankara’s impoverished Ismetpasa neighborhood, plastic sheets partially cover the roof to keep the rain out of the house where Jumaa, his wife Jawahir and their four children live. The family has no furniture and they sleep on mats they throw around a coal heater.
Jawahir Jumaa says their home in Syria was destroyed in air raids. The few relatives that have remained there live in tents that are flooded in winter months.
“The living conditions (here) are better than in Syria,” she said.
Hikmat, her youngest son, had a cyst and a tumor removed from his head and back. “They can’t treat him in Syria. They don’t know how,” Jawahir added.
Asked about the anti-migrant sentiment and calls for the repatriation of Syrians, Nidal Jumaa was fatalistic.
“There is nothing we can do, for now we are carrying on living. We are under the mercy of God,” he responded.
The neighborhood is close to an area where riots broke out two years ago after a Turkish teenager was stabbed to death in a fight with a group of young Syrians. Hundreds of people chanting anti-immigrant slogans took to the streets, vandalized Syrian-run shops and hurled rocks at refugees’ homes.
Hassan Hassan, a neighbor, says he isn’t concerned about the violence that erupted or about the calls for Syrians to leave.
“I’m not afraid, we suffered too many terrible things, what could happen that is worse than what we (have already) lived through?” he asked.
Turkey’s opposition denounces fairness of vote under Erdogan
As Turkey heads for presidential and parliamentary elections at the weekend that are shaping up to be the strongest challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his 20 years as leader, complaints are growing about the fairness of the vote.
Turkey’s opposition has long said that the country’s elections are played out on an unlevel playing field, claims often backed by international observers.
Media coverage stands out as the most obvious example of where Erdogan enjoys an advantage over his opponents, but factors such as the use of state resources while campaigning and the questionable interpretation of electoral law also feature.
Also Read: Turkey’s Erdogan faces tough election amid quake, inflation
Some 90% of Turkey’s media is in the hands of the government or its backers, according to Reporters Without Borders, ensuring overwhelming airtime for the president. Only a handful of opposition newspapers remain in print, most having transitioned to online-only editions.
During April, Erdogan received nearly 33 hours of airtime on the main state-run TV station, according to opposition members of the broadcasting watchdog. His presidential opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, received 32 minutes.
The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, last month launched legal action against broadcaster TRT for failing to screen its campaign video.
“Unfortunately, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation has moved away from being an impartial and objective institution and has turned into the Tayyip Radio and Television Corporation,” CHP lawmaker Tuncay Ozkan said.
The remaining independent media also face increasing restrictions. Last month, broadcasting authority RTUK fined independent channels Fox News, Halk TV and TELE1 over news and commentary deemed a breach of regulations. Ilhan Tasci, an opposition-appointed RTUK member, said in all three cases the stations had been accused of criticizing or questioning ruling-party actions.
Also Read: Erdogan hints Turkey may ratify Finland's NATO membership
In a statement following the last presidential and general elections in 2018, observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe noted that Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) enjoyed “an undue advantage, including in excessive coverage by government-affiliated public and private media outlets.”
The government’s reach has also been extended over social media, where many opposition voices have retreated.
A “disinformation” law introduced in October allows a jail sentence of up to three years for spreading false information “with the sole aim of creating anxiety, fear or panic among the public.”
Sinan Aygul, the only journalist to be prosecuted under the new law, was handed a 10-month prison term in February. He is currently free while appealing the case.
“The real aim is to silence all dissident voices in society,” said Aygul, chair of the journalists association in Bitlis, southeastern Turkey. It is “a law that targets anyone who expresses an opinion. It targets not only individuals but also media organs,” he said.
The ill-defined law creates crimes from “basic journalistic activities,” Aygul said, adding that it could be used during the elections to target groups seeking to protect ballot box security who use social media to highlight abuses.
“If there is going to be fraud in the election, all opposition channels will be silenced by using this law,” he said.
The imposition of a state of emergency over the 11 provinces hit by February’s earthquake has also raised concerns about how the polls will be conducted in the region. A U.N. report published April 11 said at least 3 million people had relocated from their homes in the quake zone, many of them heading to other parts of Turkey.
However, just 133,000 people from the earthquake region have registered to vote outside their home provinces, the head of the Supreme Election Council said last month. Ahmet Yener added that election officials are overseeing preparations, including polling stations at temporary shelters.
In 2018, a nationwide state of emergency imposed following a 2016 coup attempt was in place until shortly before the election, which the OSCE said restricted the media and freedoms of assembly and expression.
Erdogan has stepped up his public appearances, which are closely followed by most TV channels, and uses these official duties to attack his rivals. Attending a ceremony on the Friday of Eid al-Fitr last month to mark renovations to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, he accused the opposition of “working with terrorist groups.”
The previous evening, the leaders of four political parties allied to the AKP were present for an event to launch the delivery of Black Sea natural gas, despite none holding any government position.
Other large projects that were rolled out ahead of the vote include Turkey’s first nuclear power reactor built by Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear energy company, and several defense developments.
Critics also point to the bending of election law to allow government ministers to stand as parliamentary candidates while remaining in office, despite legal requirements to the contrary.
The election board, meanwhile, has previously faced criticism for siding with AKP objections during elections.
In the 2019 local polls, the victorious opposition mayoral candidate for Istanbul was forced to face a rerun following AKP complaints of ballot irregularities. Results from district and city council votes, which were collected in the same boxes and favored the AKP, were not questioned.
Adem Sozuer of Istanbul University’s law faculty told the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper that voters had lost confidence in the election authorities. “There is widespread suspicion in a significant part of society that elections will be rigged,” he said.