The population of the states affected by the earthquake reaches 14 million, which is approximately 16% of the population of Turkey (Reuters)

Ankara -

The local elections in Turkey come one year after the devastating Kahramanmaraş earthquake, which killed more than 50,000 people and injured more than 107,000 others, in a disaster known as the worst in the region in the past 100 years, after it caused great destruction in All aspects of life.

Three months after the devastating earthquake, Turkey found itself on the cusp of a decisive electoral phase, including the presidential and parliamentary races, which the opposition exploited to promote itself at the expense of the government, by blaming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party, and trying to convince citizens in the United States. Those afflicted said that government oversight failures were a major reason for the exacerbation of the extent of their tragedy, thus trying to convince citizens that political change might represent a path towards improving their future.

Contrary to expectations

The election results were contrary to the expectations of the opposition and many analysts, and the preference of voters in the earthquake zone did not change, and the Turkish president topped the election results in 8 of the 11 affected states in southeastern Turkey. They are: Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Elazig, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.

In terms of parliamentary elections, the “Public Alliance” led by Erdogan won in 10 states, in a move that analysts considered to represent a renewal of confidence in the Turkish president and his party, and a painful message sent by voters to the Turkish opposition.

This victory is due to the conservative and religious background of the residents of the affected states, and the urgent government interventions, and the continued presence of Erdogan and his ministerial team and his assistants in them, contributed to strengthening the relationship of trust between the people and the executive authority, which prevented the impact of the earthquake on the citizens’ loyalty to Erdogan. Rather, this crisis renewed confidence. In his leadership.

Political map

The earthquake zone represented a political stronghold for the Justice and Development Party and President Erdogan during the past years, and no elections since 2022 have witnessed changes in the political orientations of the population of those states, which number 14 million, or approximately 16% of the population of Turkey.

In the local elections in 2019, the “Public Alliance” was able to win 9 states in southeastern Turkey. They are: Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Elazig, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Hatay, while he lost the state of Adana to the Republican People's Party, and Diyarbakir to the Peoples' Democratic Party.

The political map in the earthquake zone did not change much if compared to the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections, as these governorates witnessed significant progress in infrastructure services, and their citizens received tangible development projects during the era of the ruling Justice and Development Party, which facilitated the lives of citizens and enhanced the movement of trade. And raising the level of economic well-being of individuals.

General orientation

As part of implementing the promises made by the government regarding rebuilding destroyed housing within a year of the earthquake, Turkey today, Saturday, February 3, handed over the keys to newly completed homes to thousands whose homes were destroyed after the earthquake. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerli Kaya announced in a press conference yesterday the government’s intention to hand over 41,000 homes and 5,000 village homes in Hatay state.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a plan to build 850,000 independent units in the earthquake areas, including 680 residential apartments and 170,000 commercial stores, to be delivered within the next few months, while no plans for the states affected by the earthquake were announced in the electoral programs. Opposition parties.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Hamza Ozdemir, a researcher in Turkish political affairs, expresses an optimistic point of view regarding the attitudes of voters in the Turkish regions affected by the earthquake towards President Erdogan and his ruling party, in the upcoming local elections, and says, “The local elections do not seem worrying for the Justice and Development Party in the earthquake areas.” The results did not witness a noticeable change in the parliamentary and presidential elections that followed the earthquake three months later, which indicates continued popular support for the party and its leadership.”

Ozdemir asserts that "the current situation seems more positive for the ruling party, especially one year after the earthquake, and after citizens witnessed the start of construction work and the implementation of electoral promises, which strengthened their conviction in the ability of President Erdogan and his party to meet their aspirations."

Ozdemir also criticizes the position of the opposition, which has not yet tried to strengthen its presence and promote itself in these regions, which reflects its awareness of the difficulty of competing with the Justice and Development Party in its traditional strongholds.

Popular recognition

The citizens’ position on the performance of the current government constitutes a decisive factor in their electoral choices, as Ahmed Karatbe, a Turkish worker who lives in Kahramanmaraş, expressed during his conversation with Al Jazeera Net his gratitude for the government efforts that were made since the moment of the earthquake, praising the rapid response and the reconstruction projects that it launched. the government.

He explained that his political vision did not change after the earthquake of last February 6, but rather his conviction increased that the Turkish government is capable of achieving a level of well-being that befits the citizens and their requirements, indicating that the majority of the residents of Kahramanmaraş Province may agree with him in the same opinion, especially since the earthquake is a natural disaster. No one should exploit it for their own interests, but rather work must be done to overcome this crisis, which is what the government did.

On the other hand, citizen Mehmet Stelmuşoğlu finds himself torn between acknowledging the government’s efforts and searching for alternatives that might provide new solutions. His position represents a part of voters who appreciate the achievements, but remain cautious about their electoral commitment.

Stelmuşoğlu expresses this confusion by saying, "It is difficult to ignore what has been accomplished on the ground. The government has made tremendous efforts, but in politics, questions always remain about whether others can provide more."

Source: Al Jazeera