Election rivals battle for Ankara
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by İzgi Güngör
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 23, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The corruption claims, rising unemployment and secularism are the main issues for CHP supporters while the crowd in Sincan seems to be more consent with what life offers them
Nothing can provide a clearer picture of an electorate’s mood nor is a better source for social analysis of voters’ thoughts about their party leaders than campaign rallies.
The two bitter rivals, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Deniz Baykal and the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, leader Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stood before their supporters in Ankara on Saturday at two rallies to tempt votes where the mayoral race is most likely to take place between the two leaders and not the candidates. Baykal was in Ankara’s famous meeting spot Tandoğan, which once hosted the Republican meetings, to garner votes for his mayoral candidate Murat Karayalçın. Meanwhile, Erdoğan chose Ankara’s suburb Sincan to lure votes for Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek.
Amid a sea of flags, Baykal was welcomed as a party leader in Tandoğan, which was made up of supporters from various districts, but Erdoğan’s visit seemed higher than an ordinary event at the capital’s outskirt, with supporters treating him like a savior and legendary hero.
"He is our father. He helps the poor. We receive coal and food aid from the municipality. I have two sons who have no jobs. There is a crisis, but he has no fault in that. He does his best," housewife Nurşen Aktaş, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
The rallies, not surprisingly, turned out to be a stage for the leaders to complain about their rivals to the public, but the spirit of the unending row between the two leaders was likewise echoed in spectators. The spectators in Tandoğan were more rebellious against the government and municipality’s performance while the crowd in Sincan seemed to be consent with what life has offered them, with many expressing their strong belief in a better future under the rule of the AKP.
Choice is AKP as there is no alternative
The corruption claims against the AKP governors and Gökçek, rising unemployment and the government’s ignorance of the Republican values and secularism were at the core of the CHP slogans in Tandoğan. "One minute, here is capital. There is no way through the darkness," read a placard.
"Gökçek is spoiling Ankara and squanders its money. He is robbing our money and abuses our taxes with unnecessary investments ... We want the corruption in the municipality to end. It is hard to deal with the devil but I hope God saves us from him and we don’t need to come here again for such an event in the future," said Şaziye Doğan, 48.
"I have no expectations from Baykal. I wait for him to leave his chair. I will vote for modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s party, CHP, in the elections," said 17-year-old Onur İmiroğlu.
Among the supporters, there were also women who wore headscarves in the Tandoğan rally and the victims of Gökçek-run urban transformation projects. They were angry with Erdoğan and Gökçek.
"Gökçek didn’t keep his promises in Dikmen Valley. We are living in pretty bad conditions because of the urban transformation project. I used to vote for AKP but in this election my vote will go to CHP," said Nazengül Kılıç, 43. "The AKP abuses religion and headscarves for politics. Instead of dealing with my headscarf, he should focus on the unemployment and economic problems."
In Sincan, known to be a stronghold for right-wing parties and filled Saturday mostly by Sincan residents including a significant number of women who wear headscarves, the AKP is restless with the rising nationalist votes. Although many supporters seem to be satisfied with the government and municipality’s performance, some were critical. They thought the AKP ignored suburban Sincan and didn’t make sufficient investment here. But many said they would vote for the AKP because they didn’t have any other promising alternative.
"We have no other alternative. Among the parties the AKP is the best choice for us. The CHP isn’t sincere. They criticize the government’s headscarf move but accept women with black chadors to their party. They abuse religion," said 27-year-old teacher Ebru Eroğlu.
"We find the government successful. They did many positive things in the field of education, health and transportation. They help the poor. There is actually no crisis. We create the crisis," said B.G., a housewife.
"Erdoğan is our father. I am jobless and I can’t pay my rent. We can survive thanks to the aid from the government and municipality. I will vote for the party that feeds us," said 26-year-old Murat Güleyk.
Some however came to the rally not for the love of Erdoğan.
"I am working in a private company that provides support for the AKP. It was compulsory for us to come here as a group. They made us come here," said a woman in Sincan.
The two bitter rivals, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Deniz Baykal and the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, leader Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stood before their supporters in Ankara on Saturday at two rallies to tempt votes where the mayoral race is most likely to take place between the two leaders and not the candidates. Baykal was in Ankara’s famous meeting spot Tandoğan, which once hosted the Republican meetings, to garner votes for his mayoral candidate Murat Karayalçın. Meanwhile, Erdoğan chose Ankara’s suburb Sincan to lure votes for Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek.
Amid a sea of flags, Baykal was welcomed as a party leader in Tandoğan, which was made up of supporters from various districts, but Erdoğan’s visit seemed higher than an ordinary event at the capital’s outskirt, with supporters treating him like a savior and legendary hero.
"He is our father. He helps the poor. We receive coal and food aid from the municipality. I have two sons who have no jobs. There is a crisis, but he has no fault in that. He does his best," housewife Nurşen Aktaş, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
The rallies, not surprisingly, turned out to be a stage for the leaders to complain about their rivals to the public, but the spirit of the unending row between the two leaders was likewise echoed in spectators. The spectators in Tandoğan were more rebellious against the government and municipality’s performance while the crowd in Sincan seemed to be consent with what life has offered them, with many expressing their strong belief in a better future under the rule of the AKP.
Choice is AKP as there is no alternative
The corruption claims against the AKP governors and Gökçek, rising unemployment and the government’s ignorance of the Republican values and secularism were at the core of the CHP slogans in Tandoğan. "One minute, here is capital. There is no way through the darkness," read a placard.
"Gökçek is spoiling Ankara and squanders its money. He is robbing our money and abuses our taxes with unnecessary investments ... We want the corruption in the municipality to end. It is hard to deal with the devil but I hope God saves us from him and we don’t need to come here again for such an event in the future," said Şaziye Doğan, 48.
"I have no expectations from Baykal. I wait for him to leave his chair. I will vote for modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s party, CHP, in the elections," said 17-year-old Onur İmiroğlu.
Among the supporters, there were also women who wore headscarves in the Tandoğan rally and the victims of Gökçek-run urban transformation projects. They were angry with Erdoğan and Gökçek.
"Gökçek didn’t keep his promises in Dikmen Valley. We are living in pretty bad conditions because of the urban transformation project. I used to vote for AKP but in this election my vote will go to CHP," said Nazengül Kılıç, 43. "The AKP abuses religion and headscarves for politics. Instead of dealing with my headscarf, he should focus on the unemployment and economic problems."
In Sincan, known to be a stronghold for right-wing parties and filled Saturday mostly by Sincan residents including a significant number of women who wear headscarves, the AKP is restless with the rising nationalist votes. Although many supporters seem to be satisfied with the government and municipality’s performance, some were critical. They thought the AKP ignored suburban Sincan and didn’t make sufficient investment here. But many said they would vote for the AKP because they didn’t have any other promising alternative.
"We have no other alternative. Among the parties the AKP is the best choice for us. The CHP isn’t sincere. They criticize the government’s headscarf move but accept women with black chadors to their party. They abuse religion," said 27-year-old teacher Ebru Eroğlu.
"We find the government successful. They did many positive things in the field of education, health and transportation. They help the poor. There is actually no crisis. We create the crisis," said B.G., a housewife.
"Erdoğan is our father. I am jobless and I can’t pay my rent. We can survive thanks to the aid from the government and municipality. I will vote for the party that feeds us," said 26-year-old Murat Güleyk.
Some however came to the rally not for the love of Erdoğan.
"I am working in a private company that provides support for the AKP. It was compulsory for us to come here as a group. They made us come here," said a woman in Sincan.