In the southeastern Turkish metropolis of Gaziantep, a stronghold of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), some voters are ardent supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Others, nonetheless, will be simply as ferocious in their opposition. With the May 14 first spherical of the presidential election quick approaching, politics will be simply as scorching because the steaming chai in a Gaziantep tea store.
The Gaziantep fortress has survived centuries of invasions, however some of the Roman-era bastions of the formidable edifice in southeastern Turkey didn’t stand up to the harmful drive of the February 6 earthquakes. The fundamental stone construction, nonetheless, remains to be there. Perched on a hill, the fortress nonetheless watches over the outdated metropolis.
In this stronghold of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gained 63.9 p.c of the vote in the 2018 election, nicely above his 52.6 p.c nationwide rating.
“I have supported Recep Tayyip Erdogan since he came to power. And I will continue to do so,” says Hasan Erturk, 60, proprietor of a tea store in the sq. beneath the fortress. “Insha’allah (God willing), we will see him win again on May 14.”
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