Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressing a rally in the Kurdish-majority Diyarbakir (Amed) on Wednesday, touched upon the significantly low 28.5% of votes his party received in the city, suggesting that the result was more about the Kurdish electorate’s decisions rather than a reflection on his administration’s actions.
“If this brother of yours has received only 28.5% of the vote in Diyarbakir, then it clearly indicates that some reflections are needed,” Erdoğan stated, subtly placing the blame on the voters rather than acknowledging any potential fallout from his policies. This approach comes in the backdrop of the May 2023 elections, where the electoral performance of the AKP was notably below expectations.
Erdoğan’s speech notably avoided addressing the contentious issue of trustee appointments*—a practice widely criticised by Kurdish communities and seen as a direct assault on their democratic representation. Instead, he extolled the virtues of his party’s governance in Diyarbakir, claiming advancements in peace, freedom, investment and services under his tenure.
“We come to Diyarbakir seeking your support for continuing our vision of democracy and development, a journey we commenced 21 years ago,” he conveyed, framing the electoral contest as a battle between his developmental politics and what he described as the opposition’s exploitative politics.
The bulk of Erdoğan’s speech was dedicated to critiquing the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party. He defended his administration’s military operations, insisting on conversations with all but “imperialist puppets and terrorists”.
Further into his speech, Erdoğan claimed that over 265 billion lira had been invested in Diyarbakır in the last 21 years, touting the reconstruction efforts in the Sur (Sûr) district where military curfews had previously wreaked havoc. The rebuilding efforts, including controversial prison-like houses, have sparked debate over the nature and impact of such investments on the local community and the broader implications for democracy and development in the region.
By sidestepping the critical issues at the heart of Kurdish voter discontent, such as the disregarding of their electoral choices through trustee appointments, Erdoğan’s remarks highlight a significant disconnection from the Kurdish electorate’s grievances and a reluctance to critically evaluate the impact of his government’s strategies on the voters in Diyarbakir.
(*) The trustee practice in Turkey, known as kayyums, involves the appointment of government officials to take over the administration of elected municipalities, typically in Kurdish-majority regions. This practice has been increasingly deployed since the failed coup attempt of 2016 and has significantly impacted the Kurdish community’s political rights and representation.
