PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN TURKEY TO BE HELD ON JUNE 22
By H. Chaqrian
AZG Armenian Daily
20/07/2007
National, Ethnic and Religious Minorities Made Their Decision
The Agreement of Lausanne recognized Armenians, Greeks and Kurds
national minorities of Turkey. Turkish authorities, remaining faithful
to the principles of Kemal Ataturk, are refusing to recognize the
existence of national, religious or any other minority groups in the
country. Political parties are following the example of government,
except for the moments when necessity of collecting votes reminds
them of the minorities.
Why? That’s simple: in Turkey minority groups are voting organized,
as one, and often the attitudes of single communities have more
influence on the results of the elections than the rest of the
pre-electoral campaign.
"Aksion" daily in an article published on July 18 mentioned Alavis,
Kurds, Ezides, Georgians, Turkmens, Bosnians, Cherkezs, Assyrians and
citizens of Balkan origin among the national minorities of Turkey. The
newspaper noted that all the minority groups are making their decision
beforehand and announce which party they are going to vote for.
"Aksion" also reminded the statement of Armenian Patriarch of
Constantinople Archbishop Mesrop II Mutafian, "To be frank,
the Armenians, prefer the ‘Justice and Prosperity’ party to the
National-Republican party, as the first is less nationalistic towards
the national minorities".
"Aksion" wrote that this statement illustrates well the position of
the Turkish Armenians during the coming elections, mentioning that the
new editor-in-chief of "Agos" Etyen Mahcupian is of the same opinion.
"The Assyrians have also made their decision," wrote the Turkish
newspaper, "and surely they will be voting for ‘Justice and
Prosperity’, which was officially affirmed by their religious
leader". According to information received, the number of Assyrians
residing in Turkey is about 25 thousand. The Greek and the Jewish
communities have resolved which party to vote for, too.
"Aksion" wrote that the Armenian, Greek and Jewish communities are
concerned with the escalating wave in nationalism, which rose after the
murder of Hrant Dink and which was provoked by the National-Republican
party.
As for other minorities, the Alavis, for example, have changed their
sympathies from the Nationap-Republican party for Erdogan’s party. The
Cherkez population of Turkey, which counts 8 million approximately,
has split. One part of them is favoring the National-Republican
party and the other – "Justice and Presperity". 20 Cherkez deputies
were included in the previous parliament. It is expected that in the
coming parliamentary elections about 3 million Cherkezs are to take
part in the elections, united in 112 communities.
The Turks with Balkan background, who are 24 million and have 2200
unions, are mostly inclined to vote for the "National Movement" party,
according to the statement of the confederation of those unions.
The rest of the national minorities of Turkey are supporting the
party of Prime Minister Erdogan.
Lets us add on our part that "Democratic Society" party, supporting the
Kurdish movement, was forbidden to take part in the elections on July
22. Therefore, the most of the members of this party shall be voted by
majoritary system, without their party belonging being mentioned. Thus,
the Kurds will be interested to vote for both "Justice and Prosperity"
(by proportional system) and the "Democratic Society" members (by
majoritary system).