BBC Pidgin of Tuesday, 30 May 2023

Source: BBC

Turkey Erdogan supporters celebrate im victory for election im opponent don condemn

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish President

Recep Tayyip Erdogan supporters dey celebrate afta Turkey long-time president win Sunday vote, to secure anoda five years in power.

"Di entire nation of 85 million win," Im tell di crowds outside wey bin dey hail am for im ogbonge palace near Ankara.

But im call for unity bin sound one kind as im yeye im opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu - and attack one Kurdish leader wey dey jail and di LGBT community.

Di opposition leader condemn wetin dem call "di most unfair election in recent years".

Oga Kilicdaroglu say di president political party bin use all im state power against am and im no gree admit defeat.

International observers tok on Monday say, just like di first round on May 14, di media bias and limits to freedom of expression bin "create an unlevel playing field, and e contribute to an unjustified advantage" for Oga Erdogan.

President Erdogan end up wit just ova 52% of di vote, based on near-complete unofficial results.

Ultimately, Oga Kilicdaroglu no bin fit match di well-drilled Erdogan campaign, even if im take di president to a run-off second round for di first time since 2014 wen dem make di post open to election.

But im barely dent im rival first-round lead, falling more dan two million votes behind.

Di president celebrate im victory well-well, Im first speech to im supporters na ontop one bus for Turkey biggest city, Istanbul, afta dat, na wen im go im balcony for im palace to address im supporters wey reach about 320,000 pipo.

"No be just us wey win, Turkey win," e tok, e call am one of di most important elections for Turkish history.

Im mock im opponent defeat wit words like "Bye, bye, Kemal" – na word wey im supporters also bin dey shout for Ankara.

Oga Erdogan mock di main opposition party increased numbers of MPs for di parliamentary vote two weeks earlier. Di true number don fall to 129, e say, na because di party bin hand ova seats to dia allies.

Im also condemn di opposition alliance pro-LGBT policies, wey im say dey different wit im own focus on families.

Di run-up to di vote bin dey highly tensed, for one incident late on Sunday, dem stab one opposition Good party official to death in front of one party office for northern coastal town of Ordu.

Di motive for Erhan Kurt killing bin no dey clear, but a leading opposition official blame youths wey bin dey celebrate di election result.

Although di final results no dey confirmed yet, di Supreme Election Council say e dey very clear who win.

Supporters bin come from all ova Ankara to taste di victory. Dem hala Islamic chants, while some put di Turkish flags ontop grass to pray.

For one night, dem forget about Turkey economic crisis. One supporter, Seyhan, say na big lie: "Nobody dey hungry. We dey very happy wit im economy policies. Im go do even beta in di next five years."

But the president admit say to tackle inflation na Turkey most urgent issue.

Di question na weda im dey prepared to take di necessary measures to do so. Wit an annual rate of almost 44%, inflation dey touch everyone for body.

Di cost of food, rent and oda everyday goods don increase, sake of Oga Erdogan refusal to observe orthodox economic policy and high interest rates.

Di Turkish lira don hit record lows against di dollar and di central bank dey struggle to meet high demand for foreign currency.

"If dem continue wit low interest rates, as Erdogan bin signal, di only oda option na stricter capital controls," na so Selva Demiralp, professor of economics at Koc university for Istanbul warn.

Economics bin dey far from di minds of Erdogan supporters, wey bin dey speak of dia pride for im powerful position for di world and im hard line on fighting "terrorists", by dat dem mean Kurdish militants.

President Erdogan bin accuse im opposite of siding wit terrorists, and criticise am for promising to free a former co-leader of Turkey second largest opposition party, di pro-Kurdish HDP.

Selahattin Demirtas don dey prison since 2016, even though European Court of Human Rights bin order im release.

Oga Erdogan say as long as im dey in power, Oga Demirtas go stay behind bars.

Im also promise to prioritise rebuilding di areas wey bin dey hit by February twin earthquakes and bring about di "voluntary" return of a million Syrian refugees.

Crowds boku for Istanbul Taksim Square, many of dem bin come from di Middle East and di Gulf.

Palestinians from Jordan bin wrap Turkish flags around dia shoulders. One Tunisian visitor, Alaa Nassar, say Oga Erdogan no just make improvements to im own kontri, "im also support Arabs and di Muslim world".

For all di celebrations, di idea of unity for dis divided kontri deep pass as im bin dey before.

Since one failed coup for 2016, Oga Erdogan cancel di post of prime minister and gada ogbonge powers, wey im opponent dey complain about.

One voter outside Ankara polling station on Sunday say im bin want to see di end to di brain drain wey begin wit di post-coup purge. Possibility dey say e fit increase now.

Turkey defeated opposition go now need to regroup ahead of local elections for 2024.