British-based Turks concern nation will ‘develop into Afghanistan’ if Erdogan re-elected
UK-based voters within the Turkish elections say they concern the nation might develop into like “Afghanistan or Iran” if reigning President Tayyip Recep Erdogan is victorious.
Expats who spoke to Express.co.uk exterior a London polling station, the place a few of Britain’s 127,281 Turkish residents registered to vote have been casting ballots within the runoff elections, are scared Erdogan will pursue an ultraconservative Islamist agenda the place ladies’s rights have been repressed and freedom stifled.
“We are already becoming like Iran and we are not far from Afghanistan,” a younger skilled who spoke on the situation of anonymity stated. “I mean, they have more freedom to do things in Saudi Arabia.
“At the moment, it’s horrible for women’s rights, LGBT rights and animal rights. The president of the country has threatened people with what he’ll do if he wins, like, what the hell?”
On Saturday enormous queues of hundreds of Turks snaked round a resort in Hammersmith, West London getting used as a polling station till Monday night (May 22). Buses introduced voters from throughout London to forged ballots within the second-round runoff vote between Erdogan and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, sparked by the present president’s failure to attain the margin for victory within the preliminary poll.
READ MORE: Turkey election on knife edge as Erdogan to face main rival in May 28 vote
During the preliminary vote violence erupted each in Turkey and at polling stations in different international locations. Clashes between rival voters in Marseille, France noticed 4 folks rushed to hospital and police have been additionally referred to as to a battle in Amsterdam.
Security on the London venue was excessive with canines educated to odor for explosives transferring all through the gang. Voters needed to cross via steel detectors and everybody coming into the resort was searched.
Many casting their votes have been reluctant to talk to the media for concern of the results for them and their households. In the previous decade, Turkey has handed jail sentences to members of the general public for what they share on Twitter and has been named the world’s biggest jailer of journalists.
Multiple voters advised Express.co.uk they felt there was a scarcity of appreciation for the dearth of freedom Turkish folks have within the UK.
“They just see Turkey as a cheap holiday place they can go in the summer,” a lady who has lived within the UK for six years stated, “but extremism is being promoted.
“My fear is like in the next 10 years we are going to be asked to cover our heads if we want to enter the country, like Iran. These are the things that are at stake and that’s why we are worried about the future.”
The younger skilled voter claimed Erdogan’s 20 years in energy had prompted many individuals to go away the nation and, if he continues in energy, extra will observe.
She added: “There is already a huge flood of smart people leaving to go into universities and working in the US and UK, like us. Most of them want to go back and contribute to the country, but they don’t because their freedoms are taken away, they can’t express their opinions and don’t get paid what they should be.”
He claimed there was a scarcity of respect for educated professionals and highlighted the common assaults on medical doctors by kinfolk of sufferers as proof of this. In the previous 20 years, 12 medical doctors have been killed in Turkey and in 2021 there have been greater than 80 circumstances of violence against healthcare workers day by day.
“There’s huge corruption of all kinds,” he added. “A lot of my friends who have studied so hard for the university, look for jobs and don’t get them because of the corruption. Someone else with connections gets the position.”
Voting in polling stations arrange for Turkish voters in London, Manchester, Leicester, and Edinburgh concludes at 10pm tonight.