Turkey: The gifts, autographs and hugs – STEP to the school where Erdogan voted – 2024-04-02 21:47:24

Istanbul, Mission

“Comes! Comes!”. The “alert” about the arrival of the Turkish President at the Safet Cebi school complex, in Uskudar, Asian Istanbul, where it was announced that he would exercise his right to vote, together with his wife, between 11.30 and 12.30, is incorrect. The time is already 11.40. But the people have gathered an hour earlier, eager to grab the right place that will ensure them both a view and a possible contact.

The district, a stronghold of the ruling AKP, as well as the school are full of women wearing headscarves. We are all obliged to go through the three stages of strict physical control by the police upon entering the area, which is flooded with police forces. On the roofs of the surrounding buildings are snipers.

Some men and their wives are standing in front of the steps at the entrance of the Elementary School and handing out leaflets with their names, asking passers-by to vote for them, as they are candidates for mukhtars (presidents) in the districts (50,370 mukhtars will be elected throughout Turkey today).

A real upset

Finally, at a quarter past one, the real disturbance is created. The “alarm” is real. Everyone stretches and lines up with their cell phones in the air. The sliding garage door opens and the Turkish president’s black motorcade appears. As he enters the third building of the school complex, the high school, where the common people do not have access, women, men and children jostle to get to the front line of the police barricade, trampling even children.

“Two elections in a row in such a short period of time has really tired our nation and you too. We had a very intense campaign. I think today, we will do well. These elections will mark the beginning of a new era. I hope that the parliamentary and presidential elections on the one hand and the local government elections on the other hand will favor the beginning of the new century”, was the greeting of the obviously overworked Recep Tayyip Erdogan – he plowed the country in pre-election – above the ballot box.

As soon as he appeared in the yard, the police forces literally let a man in a wheelchair with his family be in front of him. After the Turkish president listened attentively for a while to his requests, one by one the family members kissed his hand, then placed it on his forehead. Cell phone photos caught fire. Erdoğan then called his grammarian, who was constantly his “shadow”, and whispered to him to write down their names.

While for the next 40 minutes or so the Turkish president slowly walked through the courtyard with his wife, flanked by his security and part of his staff, policemen in huge black duffle bags took out and handed out dolls to the little girls and cars to the boys. Then a new rivalry arose. Little boys were crying because their mother’s hand failed to bring them the president’s gift. Other children managed to leave with two gifts.

The longing for Erdogan’s gifts

Erdogan is calm, watching everything. The longing for his gifts. The worship of his face. The movements and expressions of the world. He nods in greeting to the back rows, smiles, leans down and listens with interest to what an old woman who is stroking his hand tells him. Human “bunches” hang at a glance or a nod from him. Every now and then he tells his grammarian to give the presidency card to a citizen who has made a request.

Emine Erdogan leads the way, signs autographs, hugs children. Neither is in a hurry to finish the process. When they leave, people crowd to run away from the schoolyard, where the sun has been burning for two hours.

“My concern is Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. We will continue to run for our nation, for Istanbul, for all 85 million people. Those who work hard never get tired,” Erdogan had said in recent days – and at his pre-election rally yesterday, in Arnavutkioi. “Let us together scatter the dark clouds over this beloved city. Thank you Gingioren”, he had said in his last campaign speech later, again yesterday.

The appeal of all the candidates, in the final stretch to today’s election contest, was for the citizens to come to the polls, as the messages that have been given show a great abstention. Both Murat Kurum, a candidate for mayor in the Metropolitan Municipality of Konpolis, as well as the president of the prefectural committee of the AKP in Polis, Osman Nouri Kambaktepe, invited the people this morning to come to the polls.

“I invite all our citizens to vote. I hope the elections will be beneficial for our country and our city”, was the message of Ekrem Imamoglu early in the morning, through his active account on the X platform. A few hours later, at 12:30, together with his wife and He voted his sons to the Anatolian Imam Hatip Girls’ School. Addressing the media, he underlined the vital role of voting as the cornerstone of democracy and the utmost importance of safeguarding the integrity of the ballot box. And he asked “that the representatives of the parties not leave their positions until the minutes are done and they get a copy”.

The polls in Constantinople closed at 17:00. The official start time of the announcement of the results is at 21:00.