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France 24
France 24
World
Assiya HAMZA

Kurdish voters dream of country ‘without discrimination’ ahead of Turkish polls

Supporters of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) listen to speeches during the Newroz celebrations marking the start of spring in Istanbul on March 19, 2023. © Francisco Seco, AP

From our special correspondent in Turkey – As Turkey prepares to go to the polls on May 14 to choose between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Turkey’s 15 to 20 million Kurdish voters could well be the kingmakers. FRANCE 24 reports.

“I am Kurdish and Alevi; I am discriminated against because of this dual identity”, said Emre, a 23-year-old student standing in front of a blue plastic tent, his eyes glassy. He was born and raised in Pazarcik, a predominantly Kurdish and Alevi town in southeastern Turkey’s Kahramanmaras province. His family lost everything on the night of February 6 when the earthquake shook this part of Turkey.

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