Turkey: Assyrian deputy calls on voters abroad to go to poll stations
George Aslan, a member of the Assyrian community in Turkey, called for a high turnout abroad at the presidential election runoff.
Aslan, who recently got elected deputy for the Green Left Party in Turkey's Kurdish-majority province of Mardin, urged the voters abroad to go to the poll stations and cast their votes. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) competed in the parliamentary elections under the emblem of sister Green Left, to avoid the consequences of a possible last minute ban by the Constitutional Court.
Mêrdîn’de Yeşil Sol Parti milletvekili seçilen Süryani George Aslan, yurt dışında yaşayan seçmenlere “oy kullan” çağrısı yaptıhttps://t.co/nP934PnGzN pic.twitter.com/FjnnJRh3Di
— Mezopotamya Ajansı (@MAturkce) May 21, 2023
In a message released in Kurdish, Turkish and Assyrian, Aslan said:
"A dictator administration has been ruling this country for 21 years now. We've got to send these people home if we want change. They have given our people nothing in the past 21 years except persecution. We've got to say 'Enough.' They have done nothing but conduct operations in response to economic and political issues, or for the resolution of the Kurdish question. They have achieved nothing that would benefit our people."
Noting that the value of the US dollar against the Turkish currency rose from 1.5 TL to over 20 TL in the course of 21 years and that it is the wage earners who pay the cost, Aslan stressed that change is crucial now.
The voters abroad may vote till May 24.
The turnout in the first round might have been relatively lower abroad among the supporters of the opposition parties, as some of these parties scored lower than they did at home.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) received 44.4% in the first round, compared to 35.6% at home, while the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) received 23.5%, compared to 25.4, the far right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) 11.1% compared to 10%, the nationalist opposition Good Party 3.5%, compared to 9.9%, and Green Left 9.9%, compared to 8.8.