A group of UN human rights observers have criticized a nationwide crackdown on civil society after a failed coup. Turkey accused the experts of interfering in a referendum that may consolidate power into the presidency.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/Yasin Bulbul/Presidential Press Service
Foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said a "politically-motivated" statement by UN observers criticizing a crackdown in the wake of the failed coup last year was "incompatible with the spirit of cooperation in the UN."
"The fact that the statement came right before the April 16 public vote and contained political comments strengthens the view that this approach is deliberate," said Muftuoglu in a statement.
Since July 16, 2016, when factions of the Turkish military attempted to forcefully remove President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power, more than 134,000 civil servants have been dismissed and 1,000 schools closed by authorities for suspected links to banned groups.
Turkey also shuttered roughly 200 media outlets, which human rights and press freedom groups have criticized for undermining public debate.
'Major violations'
UN freedom of speech observer David Kaye and UN freedom of assembly observer Maina Kai, along with others, on Thursday published a statement criticizing the clampdown in the field of education and civil society through the use of state of emergency powers.
"Given the arbitrary and sweeping nature of the emergency decrees issued since July 2016, there is serious concern that such powers might be used in ways that exacerbate the existing major violations of economic, social and cultural rights," the UN observers said in a joint statement.
Backed by Erdogan, Turkey's parliament in January approved a series of constitutional amendments that would transform the country's political order into an executive-style presidential system.
If the "Yes" vote secures a victory in Sunday's referendum, it would mark the beginning of the largest overhaul of Turkey's political landscape in modern history.
Opinion polls published on Thursday showed the "Yes" vote winning by a narrow majority. However, the "No" camp has accused authorities of limiting its space to campaign ahead of the referendum.
Voter uncertainty in Ankara's slum areas
In Ankara’s low-income districts, residents have seen increased benefits and social services under President Erdogan, but many remain undecided on expanding his powers in the upcoming referendum. Diego Cupolo reports.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Going up in smoke
A haze of smoke permanently hangs over Turkey’s low-income areas through the cold weather months. It’s the product of coal-fired ovens used to heat haphazardly built houses, known as "gecekondu" meaning "settled over night." Since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came into power, the nation’s poorest residents have received free coal to stay warm, but the welfare hasn’t always translated into votes.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Undecided voters
On Sunday Turks will vote in a referendum on whether to convert their country’s parliamentary system into a presidential one led by Erdogan and his governing Justice Development Party (AKP). While Erdogan has largely expanded social welfare programs and improved living standards for low-income voters, many people in Ankara’s slums remain undecided on how they’ll vote.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
The party for the poor
"When my husband was unemployed, I was thinking of how we would get coal. Then AKP gave it to us for free, and that’s when I understood this party is with the poor," Emel Yildirim, left, a mother of three, told DW. "Before it was hard to see a doctor. Now hospitals are more open to accepting poor people," she added.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
The Kurdish vote
Yildirim, a Kurd, said she’s also concerned about conflicts between the Turkish state and Kurdish militants. "If Erdogan gets a 'Yes' vote, it could get better. He says he’s with peace," Yildirim said. "But if you ask Selahattin Dermitas [the jailed Kurdish opposition leader], he says Erdogan will drown Kurds in their blood … It’s hard to make a decision."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Skepticism prevails
A campaign banner is used as a couch cover in an alleyway, where mixed feelings over Erdogan prevail. Nearby, Ali, 25, who sells liver sandwiches from his family car, said, "On March 15, they gave people here bags of coal. Why would they do this in the spring? Winter is over. It’s obviously for the votes."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
"Problem with the system?"
Ali said his main concern was government corruption. "I don’t know if there’s a problem with the system or with the people that use the system," he told DW. "I have the same questions about Islam. Is it the religion or the people who use the religion that cause trouble? I sound like a 'No' voter, but I’m still undecided."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Following his lead
Three-year-old Ayse stands in front of her home. Her mother, who didn’t want to be named or photographed, said she would vote 'Yes' simply because her husband was doing so. Yildirim said her husband, a chef, was also voting 'Yes' because, "he believes whatever Erdogan says is right. He doesn’t ask questions or analyze anything. There’s no arguing with him."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Family affairs
Feride Turhan, right, pictured with her husband Mustafa, left, and their two sons in their living room. Feride said she still doesn’t understand what the referendum is about. "I’m not interested in politics, but I watch the news every day and no one has explained what the referendum is," she told DW. "I still don’t know which amendments are being changed."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Safety first
Like most residents in Ankara’s slums, Mustafa Turhan (not pictured here), who works the night shift at a vegetable and fruit warehouse, cited safety as his main concern. He said the AKP expanded ambulance service to low-income areas in recent years, but gun violence was increasing. "At night, people with ski masks and AK-47s rob people," Turhan said. "Even 10-year-olds have guns sometimes."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Steep learning curve
Mustafa also said schools weren’t improving in their neighborhood. "We accept the free coal because the state takes our taxes and it’s our way of getting them back," Mustafa told DW. "But we’d prefer if they invested more in schools so my sons could have better opportunities," like his eldest son, Mert, who is struggling to find work.
