Election Day post- to be updated regularly

23:50

I am tired, stressed for all the work I have to do before I set my foot to the barracks,  and since now I am living with my parents, my mother makes me crazy. This might be worse than the barracks. The lights have to be turned off, no more TV etc… Only my younger brother can challenge her, not me. I will stay at my friends’ places from now on.. I am going to bed now. Damn!

23:20 

Network of election results freezes in Istanbul and in some other major cities. CHP spokespeople begin to question the future election results and argues for possible rigged elections…

 

22.20:

Towards a two-party system.  It seems that CHP increased its votes in many urban centers and some support goes to CHP from other parties against AKP… AKP seems to be losing in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. A significant defeat. But what is worse for AKP is that it might even lose Istanbul! Even if AKP gets 40% of votes nationwide,  loss of Istanbul will be a major defeat… CHP votes increase in my districts of Istanbul…[update: in fact, MHP proves itself as the third major party. MHP succeeded to get some AKP municipalities, ie. Balıkesir, Manisa]

Turkey’s CHP claims leads tight race in Istanbul, ruling party denies

A Turkish woman prepares her vote in a makeshift booth during municipal elections at a voting centre in Istanbul. Turkey’s Islamist-rooted ruling party appeared headed for victory Sunday in local elections marred by violence, but which many see as a test of popularity for a party that narrowly escaped being banned last year.

(AFP/Bulent Kilic)

 

Early returns show dimming of lightbulb of Turkish ruling party

ANKARA – While Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, appeared in early returns to be maintaining top ranking in local governments nationwide, opposition parties cut far deeper into its mandate than expected with the major upset likely to be a changing of the party guard in Antalya, the country’s fourth largest city.

 

First Results

AKP 41 %

CHP 16 %

MHP 14  %

DTP 10 %

It looks like AKP cannot win any new municipalities (such as Diyarbakır and İzmir) and loses some like Adana but keeps most of the municipalities it already has… 

 

6 killed, 97 wounded in election conflicts in 14 cities; all seems to have resulted in village-head elections in Eastern Anatolia towns… more to come…

 

An elderly man waits to cast his vote at a polling station in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 29, 2009. Turks are voting Sunday in local elections that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes will strengthen his party’s hand in pushing for constitutional reforms. Some 48 million people are voting Sunday to elect mayors and district administrators in 81 provinces.

(AP Photo/Murad Sezer)

 

* Security measures high.  Policemen everywhere. Istanbul is calm and peaceful in the election day.

* 3 million citizens went to their hometowns to cast their votes. This created a transportation volume 100 million liras.    Source

* We have a spring like sunny and warm day today in Istanbul. Families, especially older couples are up early and walking to high schools or primary schools to cast their votes. It is like a religious holiday, families around as if visiting their relatives. Instead they visit those schools where ballot boxes are located. Schools are closed tomorrow to get ready for education again…

News Roundup: 

SPECIAL COVERAGE ON TURKISH LOCAL ELECTIONS

Turkey votes Sunday in municipal elections in which local administrators will be elected for five year terms. Here are stories relating to today’s elections:

Municipal elections today!

One of us created this poster. It is posted in coffeehouses we play cards. Çetin is supposed to be the candidate for district headman and four of us pose as his team members. I am sure some people will think this is for real. What is for real is that Çetin will become a father. I learnt that today. His wife is 1.5 month pregnant. Congratulations Çetin!

A round up on the elections follows: 

“Polls near, status quo anticipated

An official video by Higher Election Council that teaches how to vote (In Turkish)

“AKP shaken but still ahead, surveys suggest

AKP’s own YouTube: AK Party Tube

AKP’s Istanbul office launched a videosharing site. Check it out here .

Bloomberg’s Election Poll :

About 48 million Turks are entitled to vote on March 29 to choose mayors and municipal assemblies in Turkey’s 81 provinces. Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party may get between 40 and 45 percent, more than its three nearest rivals combined, according to a survey commissioned by New York-based economic research firm Medley Global Advisors LLC. The study, carried out last week, had a margin of error of 1.5 percentage points.

Erkan’s course on Propaganda… Kurdish rappers vs. Islamist rappers…

I have a spring semester elective course: Communication and Persuasion. Every semester, I change the content of the course but it is always related to course title. Last year, I had focused on Rhetoric itself. This year the theme is Propaganda. Students monitor election campaigns in groups. While they present their monitoring weekly, I lecture based on a book entitled as: Propaganda and Persuasion (by Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O’Donnell) By thebeginning of April, we may have produced a report on March 2009 local election campaigns.I will of course share it with you.

Today a group that focused on DTP’s Istanbul municipality campaign brought to our attention to DTP election song. Check out the election video here. There is a little bit of Kurdish rap there, too.

Another group showed us a Saadet party event where a Rapper group sings for this Islamist party…Here is the event video.  So comes the Turkish rap.

A round up on Turkey and Kurds follows… 

Erkan’s election campaign brief notes

 AKP seems to be the most prepared and professional party in the election campaign. This is not new. AKP candidates might rely on government power as opposition claims and this claim is probably true like in all previous cases. However, in any case, AKP seems to be better equipped in professional campaigning.

AKP has a somewhat unexpected rival! SP (Felicity Part, religious conservative party that happens to be the one that many AKP leaders hadlearnt politics) is campaigning hard and I believe SP will divert some percentage of AKP votes…

MHP can also divert some of the AKP votes. I am expecting a slight rise. 

CHP does not obsessively focus on secularism this time and I belive this is a winning strategy. I don’t expect CHP to increase its votes much, but at least the new focus on government corruption diverts alliance with AKP. AKP always benefitted from CHP secularism strategy. That solidified its ranks and many MHP and SP followers prefered to vote for AKP against CHP challenge.

DTP does not have any strategy except tension-making to solidify its already existing follower-cadres. DTP may preserve its voting base in Kurdish areas and but may lose a little bit to AKP.

Economic issues are weakening AKP. I don’t see any opposition party that can really challenge AKP but AKP is challenging itself and weakening… 

I believe AKP may still reach 40 % of votes. But there is a nearly one month to go. There might be many changes…

AK PARTY MHP DSP CHP DEHAP INDIPENDENT DYP SP

 

 here is a roundup:

Battle for Diyarbakır continues, AKP expects another victory, Kurdish and Turkish dialogue in Arbil, CHP’s election tactics and more…

PM Erdoğan’s Davos reaction is appropriated in popular culture artifacts. This is the latest one. "One minute" tshirts are sold here… 

 

Erdoğan’s latest appearance was less eventful than his visit in last November. 

For a few more votes…

Some of the party logos… 

 

Staunchly secular CHP, the opposition, plays the card of Islam now.

First appeared some women in black chador becoming CHP members, then one candidate declared he would open up Quranic schools in every neighbourhood, if there was a demand, now comes Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu of Istanbul Mayor candidate stating he will let headscarfed be employees in the municipality…

In the mean time, AKP, the government, using the social welfare card, state power  and distribute goods all around to poor families, like in the city of Tunceli. 

A roundup on the March elections: 

Ergenekon, March elections, TRT Şeş

Doğan Media Group (DMG) now recognizes that there is something called Ergenekon and they shift their energy to emphasize the failures in the legal process. This is healthier.

March elections for municipalities becomes a hotter topic day by day. CHP nominated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as the CHP mayoral candidate for İstanbul. This is possibly the best candidate against AKP. Although AKP’s mayori Kadir Topbaş is still more advantageous, it is possible that AKP may lose Istanbul. I have noted several times that I do not like Mr. Topbaş as a mayor. I don’t believe he would have any chance if he wasn’t an AKP candidate…

TRT’s Kurdish channel experiment continues to receive new feedback. A friend of mine is involved in a relatively popular sit-com in that channel. I have just heard…

A&G Survey, according to Milliyet, shows AKP is far ahead in competition for Istanbul mayor’s office.