Turkish opposition ‘closes beaches’ to boost voter turnout

ISTANBUL

A beach in Marmaris (Photo: Doğan News Agency)

A number of seaside municipalities held by Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have launched an awareness campaign to boost voter turnout in the June 24 elections.

Compared to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and other conservative parties, CHP’s core voters are more likely to go on holiday to seaside resorts in the summers. As Turkish voters can only vote where they are registered as locals, some observers had claimed that an election in the summer is better for the AKP, because many CHP voters choose to travel to summer resorts.

At least three CHP municipalities on Turkey’s Aegean coast prepared posters which they hung around the towns and posted on their social media accounts, local media reported on June 14.

“It’s time to go back home. We are honored that you preferred here for your holiday and you can return anytime you want. But for our future, for our democracy, please make sure that you are at home on June 24 to vote,” Marmaris Municipality’s poster said.

While Bodrum Municipality made a play on Turkish words on its poster to call the voters to vote instead of swimming, Datça Municipality resorted to an even stricter measure. “All our beaches will be closed due to maintenance work on June 24, but you are welcome on June 25 after you cast your vote :)” its poster said.

Edremit Municipality, too, announced it would be “closed” on June 24.

“If Marmaris, Datça and Bodrum warn us, then we should be at home on June 24, dear Çankaya locals,” said the municipality of the CHP-held Çankaya district of Turkey’s landlocked capital, Ankara, in its own poster.