News

Turkish voters flock to polls in critical elections with excitement

Published

12 months ago

14/05/2023

by Zeynep Cermen, Burak Akinci

ANKARA/ISTANBUL, May 14 (Xinhua)– Millions of voters in Türkiye flocked to the polls on Sunday to cast their ballots in the presidential and parliamentary elections with apparent excitement.

Even minutes before the voting took its start officially across the country at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), many voters had already queued in schools and some public institutions in Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city, waiting to cast their ballots.

A school-turned-polling station in the Besiktas district on the European side of the city has seen a flood of voters in the early hours of the day.

“Our citizens are very excited and many of them were here before 8 o’clock,” electoral officer Nedret Seckin told Xinhua, adding “we allowed our elderly rest on chairs so that they could comfortably wait for the start.”

In Seckin’s view, the turnout is much higher than in previous elections. “It is 8:57 a.m., and we already saw drastic participation,” said Seckin.

Around 11 million eligible voters in the city will cast their votes into 31,124 ballot boxes set up across all 39 districts. Each ballot box is supervised by a committee consisting of a chairperson, a civil servant, and representatives of the political parties.

“We are responsible for ensuring that the doors are safely closed, the votes are counted, and the bags are delivered smoothly to the district election boards without negligence,” Seckin explained.

Ilter Sayin, an 80-year-old retiree, was among the early comers.

“Everyone is so excited,” Sayin said, noting “we are all aware that the outcome of this election will change the fate of the country.”

In the capital of Ankara, people also showed up at polling centers even before voting began.

Aydin Sezgin, a taxi driver, said he will vote for incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “I’m standing by our president until the end. Yes we have some economic problems, but he is still the best candidate,” he said.

Mustafa Sahin, a pensioner accompanied by his wife and two children, said he will vote for Erdogan, praising him for having done “a lot of good for Türkiye.”

Mustafa Akman, a retired pharmacist in his sixties, is waiting to cast his ballot at a school-turned-polling station. “We are here to vote for a change,” said Akman.

The presidential election is expected to be a tight race between Erdogan and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Erdogan, 69, founder and leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party, has been leading the country since 2014 as the 12th president. He served as Türkiye’s prime minister from 2003 to 2014 and as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998.

According to surveys, Kilicdaroglu, 74, might have a chance of winning for the first time as a six-party bloc of opposition parties backs him.

According to pollsters, Erdogan, Türkiye’s longest-serving president, is facing the toughest test yet during his 10 years in office amid a strong and united opposition against him due to the economic downturn and the aftermath of devastating tremors in February.

Some 61 million voters will cast their votes in the twin presidential and parliamentary elections. If no presidential candidate wins over 50 percent of the vote on Sunday, there will be a runoff vote on May 28.

Voters will also elect 600 lawmakers in 81 provinces of Türkiye.

World

Hamas plans to suspend Gaza ceasefire negotiations if Israel attacks Rafah

Published

4 hours ago

02/05/2024

Hamas said on Wednesday that ceasefire negotiations with Israel would be suspended if Israel attacks the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in an interview with Lebanon-based al-Manar TV that Hamas would halt all indirect negotiations with Israel if it launches military operations against Rafah.

Accusing Israel of seeking “to blackmail all the parties by its threats of attacking Rafah,” the official said “the resistance is still having its power to defend our people.”

On Monday, a Hamas delegation left Cairo and said they would return with a written response to the latest truce proposal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on his seventh visit to the Middle East, on Wednesday urged Hamas to accept the truce deal which would see 33 hostages released in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners and a halt to the fighting, with the possibility of further steps towards a comprehensive deal later.

“Israel has made very important compromises,” he said. “There’s no time for further haggling. The deal is there. They (Hamas) should take it.”

A senior Hamas official said on Wednesday that Hamas was still studying the proposed deal but said Israel was the real obstacle.

Israel is holding off sending a delegation to Cairo for follow-up truce talks, pending a response from Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, an Israeli official told Reuters.

Israel’s military chief of staff Herzi Halevi on Wednesday said that the country’s offensive operation in Gaza “will continue with strength” and that Israel was “preparing for an offensive in the north.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said that Israel will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there “with or without” a deal with Hamas.

With an Israeli ground operation in Rafah on the horizon, United Nations (UN) aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday that Israeli improvements to aid access in Gaza “cannot be used to prepare for or justify a full-blown military assault on Rafah.”

More than one million people face famine after six months of the conflict, the UN has said.

As night fell on Wednesday, Israeli planes and tanks pounded several areas across Gaza, residents and Hamas-linked media said.

Medics in Gaza said at least 27 Palestinians were killed in strikes on Wednesday, with others likely hurt or killed in areas they were unable to reach.

To speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, the U.S. military has so far constructed over 50 percent of a maritime pier that will be placed off the coast of Gaza, according to the Pentagon.

However, U.S. lawmakers have questioned whether the pier is a worthwhile endeavor. On the one hand, it will cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days; on the other hand, the U.S. military personnel could become targets of Hamas militants, Republican Senator Roger Wicker told Reuters.

Source(s): CGTN

News

Solih reassures MDP dedication to protecting workers’ rights

Published

17 hours ago

01/05/2024

Former President and Advisor of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to safeguarding workers’ rights.

In a post on social media, Solih extended his congratulations to all Maldivian workers on International Labour Day, highlighting the advocacy of MDP for crucial policies like safeguarding workers’ rights and implementing a minimum wage. He also assured that the party remains dedicated to upholding the rights of workers

The world celebrates International Labour Day annually on May 1.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Efforts underway to limit Hajj pilgrimage rates

Published

17 hours ago

01/05/2024

Maldives Hajj Corporation (MHC) has initiated significant steps to substantially lower the prices of Hajj pilgrimage trips, aligning with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s presidential pledge to reduce costs for travellers from Maldives.

In a post shared on social media, Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel announced the establishment of the “Hajj Fund,” aimed at reducing pilgrim expenses while creating income-generating opportunities for the corporation, thus strengthening its financial stability. He underscored that efforts are currently underway to minimise Hajj trip costs, with an increase in real estate investments.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed affirmed that restructuring the Hajj Corporation would substantially decrease Hajj pilgrimage rates. He further emphasised the Ministry’s proactive measures under the new administration to address this issue. This year, the Hajj Corporation has disbursed USD 4,537 with over 7,000 individuals on the waiting list. The government has officially allocated 100 quotas to the Maldives to mitigate the waiting list and alleviate high pilgrimage costs incurred.

Minister Shaheem stated that if additional quotas are to be granted, private entities will be engaged in organising pilgrimage trips, adhering to the list compiled by the Hajj Corporation.

Source(s): PsmNews