Because the outcomes of Turkey’s presidential election trickled in, many opposition supporters took to social media to specific their anger, directing a lot of it at voters residing in areas devastated by February’s earthquakes.
Sunday’s election ended with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan taking 49.5 p.c of the vote and his foremost challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, getting 44.9 p.c.
Nearly all of voters in eight of 11 cities affected by the earthquakes solid their ballots for Erdogan’s Justice and Improvement Social gathering (AK Social gathering) whereas the opposite three cities favoured Kilicdaroglu’s Republican Individuals’s Social gathering (CHP).
Within the wake of the quakes, Erdogan’s authorities was criticised for its gradual preliminary response to the catastrophe and lax enforcement of constructing codes. Three months later, the president’s critics couldn’t perceive why earthquake survivors would assist Erdogan on the poll field. Many used Twitter to lob insults at these voters.
Gidenlere bişey demiyorum ama deprem bölgesinde geriye kalanların Allah belasını versin …. Onların yerine insanlığımızdan utanıyoruz
— İlhan Çetin (@lhaneti95314134) May 14, 2023
Translation: “I’m not saying something to those that left, however to those that stayed within the earthquake zone, could God rattling you … We’re embarrassed of our humanity of their place.”
Ulan o kadar rezillik cektik depremden sonra vermezler ya bu kadarini da yapmazlar dedim yaptilar daha enkazda olan cesetlerin ahinda bogulun
— Ebrr#kemaldedesinintorunu (@ebrrm_) May 14, 2023
Translation: “We suffered from a lot embarrassment after the earthquake. I stated they may not have given it, they wouldn’t have accomplished this, however they did. Could you drown within the cries of the useless who’re nonetheless beneath the rubble.”
1000’s tweeted feedback crammed with verbal assaults and threats in direction of voters residing within the earthquake zone.
Deprem bölgesinden Erdoğan’a
%71 oy ..?🙄🙄— ‘Bodur& Adalet .’ (@Adalet82_82) May 14, 2023
Translation: “71 p.c votes to Erdogan from the earthquake zone ..?
“You burn Urfa, I’ll burn Antep”
“Okay”
Some customers acknowledged due to the election outcomes, they’d now not ship help to earthquake survivors.
Üzgünüm ama bu sondu bundan sonra ne olursa olsun asla hiç bir afette yardım yapmayacağım günlerce ağladım çırpındım devletin 3 gün sonra geldiği kızılayın parayla sattığı çadırları unutup hala AKP güveniyorlarsa artık ben yokum.
— Sinem Okay Yildirim (@ok_yildirim) May 14, 2023
Translation: “I’m sorry however this was the final. It doesn’t matter what, after this I cannot assist throughout any catastrophe. I cried for days. In the event that they forgot that the federal government got here 3 days later, that Kizilay offered tents and nonetheless belief AKP, I’m accomplished.”
İnanamıyorum gerçekten. Çoğuna üzülmeyeceğim artık. Depremden beri kendimi parçaladım birşeyler yapabilmek için, hasta oldum üzüntüden. Gitsinler akp den yardım istesinler, diyecek bişey yok
— Docto r Sapiens 👩💻👩🔬 (@PforpHD) May 14, 2023
Translation: “I actually can’t consider this. I cannot be unhappy for many of them any extra. I’ve strained myself a lot because the earthquake in order that I may do one thing, I grew to become sick from disappointment. They’ll go ask the AKP for assist, there may be nothing to say.”
Authorities’s response
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Workplace introduced it has begun an investigation into people who’ve made “provocative posts” and “created inhumane rhetoric” in direction of earthquake survivors, the Anadolu information company reported.
The guarantees to now not ship assist to the earthquake zone have already was motion. In response to Melike Hatipoglu, who stated she has been personally organising reduction efforts from the primary day of the earthquakes, many individuals have cancelled their monetary assist for the victims.
“I don’t suppose my coronary heart can take all that I’ve skilled prior to now three days. The assistance for 174 orphans has been minimize off. Virtually 2,000 bins of provides have been cancelled. Individuals requested [for me to give] again the furnishings they’d donated to these left homeless. They forbade the assistance given to youngsters, disabled and aged individuals. I depart you all to remark.”
Desteğiniz için teşekkür ederiz Kıymetli ağabey 🌸 https://t.co/x58C2a4lpt
— Melike Hatipoğlu (@melikehtp) May 16, 2023
The backlash has carried over into authorities as nicely. On Tuesday, the Tekirdag Metropolitan Municipality introduced it was terminating its non permanent lodging providers to earthquake survivors.
CHP’li Tekirdağ Belediyesi Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’na oy çıkmayan deprem bölgelerini faturasını depremzedelere kesti.
Kumbağ’da otellere yerleştirilen vatandaşlar kapı dışarı edilmek istendi.
Depremzedeler, “Deprem bölgesi AK Parti’ye verdi diye bize bunu mu reva ediyorsunuz?”… pic.twitter.com/FftLpy2IUc
— Yekvücut (@yekvucutcom) May 16, 2023
Translation: “The CHP Tekirdag Municipality punished the earthquake victims as a result of Kemal Kilicdaroglu couldn’t get sufficient votes from the earthquake zone.
“They tried to evict residents who had been relocated to motels in Kumbag.
“The earthquake victims stated, ‘That is what you suppose we’re worthy of as a result of the earthquake zone voted for AK Social gathering?’”
After the general public outcry, the Tekirdag governor and Catastrophe and Emergency Administration Authority intervened and stated they may proceed offering shelter to the earthquake victims.
In response to the barrage of insults from opposition supporters on social media, movies and footage of survivors from the earthquake zone giving again help they obtained from CHP municipalities have been circulating on social media.
In a single video, a sufferer from Elbistan in Kahramanmaras province, the earthquakes’ epicentre, stated he’s returning the free fertilizer he obtained from the CHP-run Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.
Elbistan’da bir depremzede, uğradıkları hakaretlerden sonra CHP’li Ankara Büyükşehir Belediye’sinin kendilerine verdiği gübreyi Kahramanmaraş CHP Elbistan İlçe Başkanlığı’na iade etti.
“Biz bu gübreyi kullanacak kadar onursuz ve gurursuz değiliz.” pic.twitter.com/KLmJK0eY0W
— HURMA (@HurmaEdit) May 17, 2023
Translation: “The Nation Alliance has not made any statements condemning [the insults]. We’re not with out satisfaction or dishonourable sufficient to make use of this fertilizer.”
One other sufferer shared with Murat Kurum, minister of atmosphere and urbanisation, that in the course of the earthquake he had taken a free bottle of water from an Ankara Metropolitan Municipality stand.
Benim de kanıma çok dokundu, güzel kardeşim.
Ama hiç üzülme, biz varız.
Sözümüzü tutacağız! pic.twitter.com/yN598V6tEe— Murat KURUM (@murat_kurum) May 17, 2023
Translation: “I despatched the cash for [the water] again to Kemal Kilicdaroglu’s checking account. It was 2.50 liras [13 cents].”
Many social media customers have condemned the backlash towards earthquake survivors and known as on others to proceed donating and offering assist.
Bir rica,
İnsanlığını yitirenlere en güzel cevap iyilik olacaktır. Hangisine güveniyorsanız…● DEPREM yazıp 1866’ya (AFAD 50₺)
● DEPREM – 3072’ye; (İHH 10₺)
● AFET – 2868; (Kızılay 15₺)
● Ahbap TR120006400000110211380059
● Umuda Koşanlar TR79 0001 0026 4584 1389 1150 11— Erhan İdiz (@idizerhan) May 16, 2023
Translation: “A request, one of the best reply is to provide to those that misplaced their humanity. Whichever one you belief…”
Yaparız. Zira insan canının siyasi kararların üstünde olduğunu biliriz. Depremzede çocuklara, annesini kaybetmiş gençlere elimizden gelen daimi desteği iletiriz. İkinci turda gönlümden geçen gerçekleşsin ya da gerçekleşmesin, bizzat yeni bir yardım programını ben düzenleyeceğim. https://t.co/GWGnXzPIP8
— Hatice Acar (@haticeacar626) May 14, 2023
Translation: “If the results of democracy didn’t please us, the motion to take is to extend constructive criticism, to enhance the opposition. Nonetheless, it’s not threatening those that had been affected by tragedy. Simply as this nation raised us, we’ll proceed to assist its youngsters unconditionally.
“We’ll. As a result of we all know that human life is above political selections. We convey our fixed assist to earthquake survivors and younger individuals who have misplaced their moms. Within the second spherical, whether or not my coronary heart is fulfilled or not, I’ll personally organise a brand new help programme.”
Erdogan’s response
Previous to the overall election, each Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu campaigned within the earthquake-devastated cities. Members and leaders from their coalitions additionally held rallies and visited the world.
In a tweet, Erdogan denounced the destructive reactions on social media.
“We’re witnessing assaults which are incompatible with human values on account of this mentality as a result of they may not get votes from our residents. These circles show every kind of unscrupulousness, from chopping off the help they ship to the earthquake space to kicking earthquake victims out of motels.”
Meclis seçiminin Cumhur İttifakı’nın zaferiyle sonuçlanması, Cumhurbaşkanı seçiminde de açık ara bir farkın ortaya çıkması; CHP Genel Başkanı’nın ve yönetiminin dengesini iyice bozdu.…
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) May 18, 2023
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