Getting out the Vote

For a few more days, it's election season here. This Saturday Turks will return to their hometowns to cast their ballot (Am I the only one who finds this reminiscent of Mark and Joseph dragging themselves to Bethlehem 2000 years ago for the census? Quaint perhaps, but inconvenient as hell.)

Unlike the stuffy American political scene, Turkish politics is big, colorful and above all else, local. Party flags and banners hang strung across almost every major street. Candidates sit juxtaposed to shampoo models at the bus stop advertisements. Most neighborhoods seem to have party headquarters of sorts, complete with flashing party signs, and of course, more flags. Normal people stand on corners handing out party pamphlets to their neighbors, passersby and the occasional motorcyclist who bothers to pause at the stop sign.

Party flags in front of the Galata Tower

And then there are the party "minibuses", vans equipped with incredibly powerful speakers that project party songs and propaganda and have a tendency to park in front of crowded buildings. Don't try talking over the minibus. In Ankara, our hotel room faced the street... between city buses and minibuses, it was impossible to sleep between the hours of 8:00 am and 11:30 pm. What I can't figure out is who changes her vote for a minibus?

On our way back from Ankara (which involved altogether far too many hours in motor vehicles) we drove -- correction, crawled -- through a political demonstration for the Saadet Party. Honestly I know little about the Turkish political scene but judging by the number of women covered head to toe in black, the party is somewhere right of center. There must have been thousands of people carrying party flags in the street or packed into party buses, all involved in the political process.

All things considered, maybe there is something to be said for flags and minibuses? It certainly makes things more interesting.