Turkey local elections marred by irregularities in Kurdish provinces

Voting in the 32 provinces of Turkey's east, where the majority of the population is Kurdish, ended at 4:00 p.m. (UTC+3).

Prior to the elections, soldiers and police officers, relocated to many cities as voters, were reported to cast their votes collectively in many places, with some law enforcement officers voting in uniform despite prohibitions.

Additionally, numerous incidents occurred, including reports of multiple voting and violence against ballot clerks objecting to irregularities.

We compiled the irregularities occurring throughout the voting process in Kurdish provinces during the 2024 local elections.

Ağrı

Sırrı Sakık, a Member of Parliament for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Ağrı, reacted strongly to soldiers and police officers brought in to vote collectively, stating, "There are thieves here, they want to steal the city's will."

"Today is a day of honor. Regardless of your political views, stand against this usurpation of will," Sakık said, addressing law enforcement officers.

Bitlis

It was reported that 45 armed soldiers voted at the Tatvan Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Karşıyaka neighborhood of Tatvan district.

According to Mesopotamia Agency, when a ballot clerk from the HDP told the soldiers brought from Reşadiye village that they needed to dress in civilian clothes, the soldiers obstructed the recording process.

In Hidayet neighborhood, more than 20 uniformed soldiers were reported to have voted at Vakıfbank Middle School. The HDP filed a complaint.

Diyarbakır

During the elections at Hazro Çok Programlı Anatolian High School in Hürriyet neighborhood of Hazro district, Halide Türkoğlu, an HDP MP monitoring the elections, was reportedly insulted by one of the 'brought-in' voters.

According to Mesopotamia Agency, while a person claiming to be a soldier but acknowledged by the local community as a village guard was being removed from the area by the police, Türkoğlu stated that she would file a criminal complaint against him.

Subsequently, Hasibe Yazdık, the HDP's mayoral candidate for Hazro, addressed the individuals brought in from outside, saying, "Do not participate in attempts to eliminate the people's will."

Türkoğlu also called on the people of Hazro to protect their ballots and rights by coming to the polling stations.

In Adalar neighborhood of Çermik district, a police officer violated the rule of staying more than 100 meters away from the ballot box by standing guard with a weapon at polling station 1086.

Hakkari

Hundreds of transported soldiers and police officers were seen collectively coming to vote in Büyükçiftlik and Esendere towns of Yüksekova district.

In Büyükçiftlik, soldiers arrived to vote in armored vehicles, while in Esendere, it was noted that soldiers arrived at the school to vote together with AKP supporters.

Mardin

Soldiers and police officers brought into Dargeçit Anatolian High School and Dargeçit Middle School voted collectively.

Beritan Güneş, an HDP MP from Mardin, criticized the brought-in voters, saying, "Who are you? Where are you from? You've never seen Savur in your life, shamelessly voting and leaving half an hour later."

Mardin MP Kamuran Tanhan shared a video on social media platform X, exposing the frauds committed by the AKP in Dargeçit.

In Midyat, AKP Mayoral Candidate Veysi Şahin and his entourage assaulted İ.A., a DP ballot clerk, at Atatürk Middle School. The ballot clerk was taken to the hospital by an ambulance called to the scene, and a record was made of the incident.

Muş

At Güzeltepe Middle School in Güzeltepe neighborhood of Muş center, it was revealed that collective voting took place in ballot box 1034, led by the wife of AKP Mayoral Candidate Feyat Asya.

AKP supporters physically intervened with ballot clerks who opposed collective voting, and, as objections increased, they quickly left the school.

Sumeyye Boz, an HDP MP, who witnessed the irregularities, said that the votes in the ballot box where collective voting took place should be invalidated. As a result of the intense efforts of the MPs and legal experts, a record was made of the incident.

Another irregularity from Muş came from ballot box 1108 at Mehmet Akif Ersoy Primary School in the center.

It was alleged that a woman wearing a black veil voted three times in different ballot boxes. The HDP Crisis Coordination Center intervened in the incident and requested that a record be made of the ballot boxes where the woman voted.

Moreover, in Malazgirt, images surfaced of transported voters lining up to vote collectively.

Kars

Atatürk Primary School in Kars, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, the HDP Group Deputy Chairman and MP for Kars, asked a soldier waiting in line to vote, "Where are you from?" The soldier replied, "We came from outside the province."

Şırnak

In the courtyard of Tümgeneral Ömer Keçecigil Primary and Secondary School in central Şırnak, teacher Hüseyin Turhanlı, who reacted to soldiers brought in as "transported voters," was subjected to police violence. Turhanlı responded to the situation by saying, "You are thieves."

HDP Şırnak MP Mehmet Zeki İrmez, HDP Provincial Co-Chair Abdullah Güngen, and party members protested by blocking the soldiers.

It was reported that there are about 5,000 voters in the school. However, most of the names on the list are not registered in Şırnak.

In Beytüşşebap district, hundreds of soldiers were seen going to vote with armored vehicles in the town center. While voters reacted to the situation, it was reported that armed soldiers were not removed from the school premises despite all objections by the HDP.

Urfa

In Gözlek neighborhood of Viranşehir district, a man named Sait Günaydın shared on his social media account that he voted for the AKP 11 times.

According to Mesopotamia Agency, Günaydın took pictures of the ballot papers and sent a message to another person saying, "Votes are for the AKP. See, Kurdish guy, I cast 11 votes," and threatened him with death by saying, "I will kill you," when the other person said they would report him.