Citizens mobilize against the risk of electoral fraud
A few days before the May 14 poll, civil society wants to prevent a manipulation of the vote, scalded by the authoritarian turn of President Erdogan.
Published: 09.05.2023, 7:00 p.m.
Tens of thousands of volunteers will be deployed in the polling stations on May 14, alongside observers from political parties and those from the OSCE, to monitor the election.
AP Photo/Emrah Gurel/keystone
A compact crowd swept through the grounds of the Nazim Hikmet cultural center, in the heart of the Sisli district, in Istanbul. At the entrance to the theater, the clock announces 7 p.m. The latecomers pile up on the last free steps, the less fortunate stick their noses to the door, like groupies at a rock concert. In great silence, a young woman goes on stage, camel-colored jacket over black pants. She grabs a microphone, greets the public, then launches a slide show stamped with the logo of the association Oy ve Ötesi (“the vote and beyond”).