A Türk Traktör worker
Ankara
The AKP lost the metropolitan cities in the election, but they have somehow been unable to accept Istanbul. Pressurizing the Supreme Election Council (SEC) from all quarters, they have not recognized elected Ekrem İmamoğlu as mayor. I think that lying behind this is the fear of the graft being cut off, especially to associations, religious brotherhoods and various groups. Because Istanbul is a venue for massive graft.
I think this decision the AKP has procured from the SEC will come back to haunt them. The main reason for losing the elections was the section of the workers who previously voted for them not doing so in this election. Due to the prominent issues of the failure to solve the retirement age victims’ problems and, on top of this, the usurpation of severance pay that has recently courted controversy, they will suffer an even greater decline in Istanbul in this election. I think the people will once more “deliver a slap” and this “slap” will be pretty hard.
The factory has been at a halt for nearly ten days and there have once more been 24% wage cuts. But the Istanbul election is on the mind of colleagues I speak to. The issue is pretty clear. In this election, the people will either consent to events like municipal resources being transferred to crony clubs such as Başakşehir to transfer Arda Turan, or fail to do so and once more support İmamoğlu. In this process, İmamoğlu must also keep the people’s heat high and stay at one with the people with rallies and statements as he did in the process where he was denied his certificate of election. We can also say that the AKP will try to boost its fortunes in this process especially with talk of “terrorism” and the like and funerals of the fallen.
(Translated by Tim Drayton)
Bülent Falakaoğlu
Hakkı Özdal
