Survivors of the February 6, 2023 earthquakes in southeastern Turkey currently living in container cities provided by a government disaster agency have reportedly received text messages warning they will be evicted for supporting imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
According to the reporting of the Aposto news website, residents of a container city provided by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) in Turkey’s Hatay province received a WhatsApp message warning that there were allegations of individuals collecting signatures for a petition calling for the release of Ekrem İmamoğlu. The message alleged that any political activity or show of support for a political party in the container city was prohibited and warned that those who signed the petition would face eviction.
The magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes claimed the lives of 53,725 people, injured more than 107,000 and left millions homeless after the collapse of 518,000 homes. According to most recent data nearly 650,000 people are still living in container cities waiting to find a house.
The WhatsApp messages were sent to a group of people living in the container city by one of the app’s administrators. After people expressed outrage over the message it was deleted, but residents said they were still nervous they will get evicted.
Community worker Evrim Çakır dismissed the messages as baseless, saying they had no legal foundation and should not be taken seriously. “Although we attempted to follow up with AFAD regarding the situation, they have not responded to any of our inquiries,” she added.
The Presidential Communications Directorate later issued a statement clarifying that any signature campaigns are subject to official authorization.
“In the Temporary Accommodation Centers established by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and political parties are subject to permission. It is prohibited for any NGO or political party to enter container cities and collect signatures or engage in propaganda without prior approval.”
However, the statement also emphasized that no one would be evicted simply for signing a petition. Despite this reassurance, residents said they remained uneasy, noting that the container city is under constant video surveillance, making it relatively easy to identify those involved.
“We know that AFAD reviewed the camera footage and identified some of the people who signed the petition. We spoke with the container city management, and they said those individuals would definitely be evicted,” said one resident, who asked to remain anonymous.
Representatives from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) said they demanded an answer from AFAD and the Hatay Governor’s Office as to whether these claims were true.
CHP deputy Nermin Yıldırım Kara said, “The Ministry of the Interior, AFAD and the Hatay Governor’s Office must make a statement on this issue and initiate an investigation. Those who wrote this message must be held accountable.”
Following the detention and subsequent arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu in mid-March, millions of citizens have shown solidarity through street demonstrations, calls to boycott pro-government businesses, acts of civil disobedience and petition drives demanding his release.
