Aral BalkanMay 14, 2023

Keeping my fingers crossed that Turkey can shed its Islamist autocrat today.

Not least of all because it would be good to be able to visit friends and family again.

https://ar.al/notes/my-speech-at-general-assembly-in-berlin-november-2017/

#turkey #türkiye #erdoğan #kılıçdaroğlu #turkishElection #democracy #autocracy #theocracy

Aral Balkan — My speech at General Assembly in Berlin, November 2017

Show threadAral Balkan

Well it looks like #Turkey’s presidential elections are heading for a runoff with neither #Erdoğan nor #Kılıçdaroğlu securing a majority (they have 49.35% and 45% of the vote, respectively, with 98.89% of the votes counted).

The other two candidates split the vote in Erdoğan’s favour, with far-right candidate Oğan at 5.22% and İnce, who withdrew with four days to go, at 0.43%.

IF the opposition votes all go to Kılıçdaroğlu in round two, he would win. One can only hope.

https://secim2023.trthaber.com/cumhurbaskani-secimi/genel-sonuclar

May 15, 2023 at 5:49amWeb
Show threadLoukas (They/Them) 🏳️‍⚧️May 15, 2023
@aral I worry both candidates will pivot towards even more nationalism to try to pick up the Oğan votes. I see he demanded that KK shut the HDP out.
Show threadAral BalkanMay 15, 2023
@Loukas Sadly, there’s more than one reason Turkey’s fucked up.
Show threadTenPastTwoMay 15, 2023
@aral I briefly went onto Twitter to read commentary on the Turkish elections, 90% of tweets were pro Erdogan which I don't believe for a second especially based on the urban rural split. Really brought home to me how biased Twitter timelines now are.
Show threadDesign by AdrianMay 18, 2023
@TenPastTwo @aral That’s because we know that Twitter throttled opposition tweets to guarantee that the whole platform wouldn’t be blocked. Elon Musk admitted as such. He’s an idiot.
Show threadAral BalkanMay 18, 2023
@designbyadrian @TenPastTwo Please, don’t insult actual idiots. He’s malicious pond scum.
Show threadDizzyMay 15, 2023
@aral Really amazing that the country has been run into the ground last 20 years and still people vote for dictatorship?
Show threadPanic In The DarkroomMay 15, 2023
@aral From my personal (likely flawed) experience in past Croatian elections, that is almost certainly false hope.
Show threadrtnMay 15, 2023
@aral Fingers crossed!