Ankara (AFP) – Ali, a 23-year-old student, lost everything in Turkey’s earthquake.
His parents are missing and his ancient hometown, Antakya, lies in ruins.
To fight back, Ali, who like many survivors declines to give his full name, has launched a drive to ensure that more than three million people displaced by the February disaster can vote in next month’s general election.
The May 14 ballot promises to be perilous for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a dominant leader forced into the unusual position of apologising for his government’s response to Turkey’s worst disaster of modern times.
Rescuers and relief workers took days to reach some ravaged areas, creating a sense of abandonment and directing anger at officials for a death toll that has topped 50,000.
“It’s important to reflect this anger at the polls,” said Ali, who now lives in Ankara.
With friends, he launched an appeal on Twitter asking political parties to pay the bus tickets of students who had to leave Antakya but want to return to cast their votes.
The main opposition CHP party has pledged its support.
People who sought shelter in cities such as Ankara, Istanbul and Mersin on Turkey’s southern coast had until April 2 to register their new voting address.
Those who missed out have to return to their ruined cities to cast ballots.
Erdogan’s opponents view the early deadline as a covert government effort to suppress the protest vote.
“People lost loved ones and everything that was precious to them. Most were in no condition to take care of their election registration,” said Ali Oztunc, a CHP deputy representing Kahramanmaras, near the epicentre of the 7.8-magnitude quake.
