Volunteer citizens, registered with the various Turkish political parties, are mobilized in the polling stations on Sunday, while the country chooses its future president and renews its Parliament.
The appointment was given at dawn. On Sunday May 14, tens of thousands of assessors and observers are mobilized throughout Turkey to open the polling stations and kick off the first round of the legislative and presidential elections. A ballot under high tension, which could sign the end of the two decades of reign of the AKP, the Islamo-conservative party of outgoing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
But these new elections are also marked by mistrust. The Social Democrat Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, presidential candidate and main opposition figure, for example questioned the neutrality and transparency of the Turkish High Electoral Council (YSK). “If (the Council) does not publish the results, we will do so ourselves from the minutes, counting them one by one”he warned again on May 10, quoted by The Independent (article in Turkish).
>> Elections in Türkiye: follow the first round of voting in our live
Is this long-awaited election really likely to be marred by irregularities? What control can citizens have over this process? In Istanbul, franceinfo asked the question to Ahmet, Cansu and Ali, three politically distant volunteers, but linked by the same mission: to enforce democratic rules.
“Even if I am relatively confident, I am watching”: Ahmet, 63, retired
This is the fourth time that Ahmet, retired and founder of an NGO that promotes Kurdish culture, has put on his observer costume. The first was for the controversial 2017 referendum, which saw Recep Tayyip Erdogan transform Turkey into a presidential system tailor-made for his political projects. “Since then, we still have doubts about the elections”, summarizes the sexagenarian. During this popular consultation, the YSK had lifted at the last moment the obligation to seal the envelopes containing the ballot papers, provoking the anger of the opposition parties.
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“There were also the municipal elections in Istanbul”, remembers the solid retiree, planted in his waxed cowboy boots. Organized in March 2019, this election was canceled by the courts, after the narrow victory of opposition candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, presented by the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Three months later, the latter had finally been elected with a clear lead.
In the eyes of Ahmet, these new elections are all a ballot “historical”. “It comes down to choosing between existing or disappearing, whether or not to bring the Republic of Turkey into its second century of existence”believes this sympathizer of the Yesil Sol party, an offshoot of the pro-Kurdish HDP party, threatened with closure just before the election campaign.
For this first round, Ahmet fears irregularities in his polling station, located in the Kadiköy district, less than at higher levels of the system. “Even if I’m relatively confident, I’m still watching”entrusts with a smile the one who loves “arrive an hour early” on voting days, in order to prepare for any eventuality.
“We are preparing as for a war”: Cansu, 29, lawyer
In Üsküdar, stronghold of the presidential party AKP on the Asian side of Istanbul, Cansu acts as a registered lawyer with the opposition party CHP. If the situation so requires, it can report a dispute in the electoral register and accompany the case before the highest authorities. “The presence of a lawyer is not mandatory, but it has become a norm over the elections”, she explains. In the school where she officiates on Sunday, there is one on each floor.
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“You can be faced with all sorts of problems, such as the presence of disabled voters or voters under guardianship, who normally have to vote by other means, she details, or even signature fraud that could allow some to vote twice.” Even if this is her fifth ballot as an observer, the young woman fears excesses linked to the difficult context. “The past three years have been the worst in two decades under the AKP,” she laments. While “Food prices and rents have skyrocketed”the February earthquakes angered part of the population, recalls the lawyer.
So these elections “We are preparing for it as for a war”, she says. On social networks, images of clashes between political opponents have raised concern among the young lawyer, who does not however intend to be discouraged. In his bag, a thermos of coffee and wafers should allow him to face this long day which could stretch into the night if the results are tight. “I’m already preparing not to sleep for 24 hours”she admits with a shy smile.
“Mistakes can be made by all political camps”: Ali, 19, store manager
For Ali, an employee in the sales sector, the first ballot marks a great first: in addition to finally being able to vote, he is responsible for a polling station and coordinates those he calls “the guardians of the ballot box”. In the event of a quarrel, between observers or with voters, it is up to him to manage the dispute. “It’s important for me, because mistakes can be made by all political camps, and everyone blames themselveshe laments. So you need someone who keeps their eyes open.”
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Responsible for a youth branch of the AKP in Üsküdar, Ali judges this election “decisive for the next twenty years” in Türkiye. “There are a lot of things at stake, and everyone is playing their last cards to ensure their survival”he says, both about his party and the motley alliance of the opposition.
The polls, Ali assures not to pay attention to them, but he still fears that a tight result will cause clashes. Not to mention the disappointed, even in the event of a clearer victory for Erdogan or Kiliçdaroglu, who were leading the race according to the latest opinion polls. In order to put himself in the best conditions, Ali had planned to go to bed early on Saturday evening, not to smoke and to take an external battery for his smartphone, in view of this crucial day. “As soon as the offices close, I will go home to watch the results on TV in the dark, with the phone switched off”he confides, a bit nervous in his costume.
