Quake damage restricts electoral campaigns in region

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

The political parties whose buildings were destroyed or severely damaged in the deadly Feb. 6 quakes continue their election campaigns in containers and tents, with works carried out from party buildings in five provinces in the quake zone.

The 11 quake-hit provinces with around 9 million voters will be heading to the polls on May 14 to elect 96 lawmakers, barely three months after the devastating tremors that left more than 50,000 people dead and millions homeless in the country’s south.

Though the earthquakes did not cause damage to the parties’ provincial buildings in Gaziantep, where over 1.3 million survivors are expected to cast vote, all parties in Nurdağı and Islahiye districts, hit by devastating aftershocks on the same day of the quake, carry out their campaigns in tents and containers.

In Diyarbakır, which has one of the highest populations in the region, the İYİ (Good) Party suffered the most as its office was at a partially damaged building that had to be demolished afterward. The party had to shift its election work to the district buildings.

The quake also destroyed the Great Union Party’s (BBP) provincial building in Hatay, the worst affected by the devastating disaster. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) buildings were demolished as they were heavily damaged.

However, the parties’ campaigns in containers and tent cities established in the quake zone continue.

The earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, where over 750,000 citizens are eligible to vote, destroyed the MHP and CHP buildings in the province. The buildings of the AKP and İYİ Party, on the other hand, survived the deadly tremors.

The AKP had to move to a new place in Malatya as its provincial building collapsed. The CHP continues to campaign in containers as a precautionary measure, as well as the MHP, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the Felicity Party (SP), as the provincial presidencies have been demolished.

In Adıyaman, the CHP, the BBP and the New Welfare Party (YRP) carry out their electoral work in containers and tents. Though there was no serious harm to İYİ Party’s office, the party settled in the containers in front of the building, while the AKP was still at its office.

Meanwhile, there was no damage to the provincial buildings of the parties in Adana, Şanlıurfa, Elazığ, Osmaniye and Kilis, where around 3.7 million citizens are eligible to vote.

Nearly half of around 3 million people displaced by the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes are expected not to be able to vote, indicating a possible weak turnout from the region.