AKP may lose its stronghold city on referendum 2017-04-02 14:30:51 KONYA – Konya where conservative policy is the strongest may change in referendum. According to opponents of Konya, about 40-50 percent of votes will be ‘No’ in referendum and “AKP” will disappoint in its the strongest city. Konya is largest city in Turkey in terms of surface area and seventh biggest city in Turkey in terms of population. According to data of 2016, two million and 161 thousand people are living Konya and its 31 county. Konya city is known as biggest supporter of AKP (Justice and Development Party) since 2002 when it was established. The city also is remembered as biggest supporter of conservative parties such as Refah Partisi ( Welfare Party) and Fazilet Partisi (Virtue Party) at past. AKP also was supported strongly by people of Konya at last two elections. President Erdoğan was elected 74 percent of votes in Konya in Presidency Election of 2014. Despite AKP was voted 65 percent of votes in Konya on June 7 election in 2015, AKP was voted 74 percent of votes in Konya on November First’s election. Also MHP (Nationalist Movement Part) was voted 16 percent on June 7 election and 11.4 percent on November First in Konya. In this context it is expected high rank ‘Yes’ vote for referendum in Konya. When we took first step to Konya, we saw supremacy of ‘Yes’. There are numerous ‘Yes’ campaign tent in the city. All municipalities AKP was elected are working as center of ‘Yes’ campaign in Konya. But despite all these things AKP is not feeling comfortable in its strongest city. Even ‘Yes’ is seen stronger , AKP want to take guarantee in Konya and therefore they use ‘Nationalist and conservative’ discourse such as ‘ Yes for one flag, one nation’ songs. But When we asked to people why they are going to vote for ‘Yes’ they don’t have any basic answer except ‘Whatever our leader desire’. Despite past elections, campaigners of ‘No’ are more hopeful. No flags attract in attention only on buildings of CHP (Republic People Party) and HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party). There are little of any ‘No’ campaign tents of referendum in Konya city. We have told ‘No’ banners of CHP were banned by Konya Municipality of AKP several days ago. Chair of CHP in Konya Province Mehmet Ali Ünal emphasizes there are pressure over ‘No’ campaign and they can’t run the campaign freely. “ Our chair Kılıçdaroğlu would come but municipality didn’t provide any saloon for his speech. They are trying to create a fear atmosphere but this ‘fear’ will return as ‘No’ to them in referendum” says Ünal and claims AKP will lose 10 or 15 percent of its votes in the city. Welfare Party doesn’t want to take AKP on directly in Konya. But when we spoke privately voters of Welfare Party speaks their anger to the AKP. Former mayor of Cihanbeyli Municipality of MHP for two sessions Abdulkadir Öztürk said “ 80 percent of MHP will say ‘No’ because of Bahçeli collaboration with AKP. It is also possible to see ‘No’ voters in the street. A citizen named Ferhat Özbakış says he will vote ‘No’ because of ‘ We can’t give the faiths of 80 million to a person’. Another citizen named Berk Yiğenoğlu agrees with Özbakış and calls to youths to vote ‘No’. A citizen who doesn’t want to give its name says “ No media left in the country. All of them are pro-government. There is economic crisis but we are still speaking about referendum. Why are they doing this to us.” Kulu, Cihanbeyli and Ereğli counties of Konya is much more different than city center. It is possible to see much more ‘No’ voters on the street. Most people we spoke outside mention they will vote ‘No’ on the referendum. Specially in Kulu and Cihanbeyli counties there are many Kurds and it seems it will affect to ‘No’ rate. There will be a meeting of HDP in Cihanbeyle a day before of referendum on April 15. HDP Konya province chair “ Here is the strongest city of AKP and they don’t let us run a campaign for refendum. But we are intend on erase AKP in Konya. We aim to have 50 percent ‘No’,” says. Kenan Kırkaya / Seda Taşkın - dihaber