Politics sells loads of newspapers and pushes up television ratings to the likes of many media moguls.
Every news channel and paper is crammed with stories and opportunistic pictures of each candidate giving their speeches to the masses, rallying votes and crowds, and of course, waving a flag.
You wouldn't be in Turkey unless you have a flag of some sort. My neighbourhood is littered with flags from the many parties that hope to gain seats in parliament in this election as well as the front runners. I'm sure no one has bothered to consider the environmental impact all these flags as rubbish will cause. Clearly, care of the environment is not on the top of the list of most of these candidates.
One newspaper even reported the following on the issue:
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry and governors from a number of cities have on various occasions called on political parties to run eco-friendly elections campaigns for the upcoming local elections. These requests, however, seem to fall on deaf ears, given the litter parties leave in the streets from the materials they use to promote their candidates for the elections.
On the weekend as I pottered around home, I experienced another form of pollution; noise. I was surprised to hear loud music blaring from some poor quality loud speakers of one of the many campaign buses that is decked out purely to pollute the air with loud campaign music that most of us can't even understand. Surely they don't think that's really going to make me vote for them? Are they serious?
In recent times especially when my husband has the news on, I have had to leave the room while each leader is shown giving his most recent speech. Speeches here are given more like commands from the military with the candidate usually waving his hands in the air, ranting and raving, and screaming at the crowd. The candidates usually looks more crazed or angry than hopeful or triumphant.
I can never imagine Kevin Rudd or the opposition giving a speech to his voters or the general public waving his hands and shouting in this fashion. Or, as in the picture below, some guy stealing the show at Erdoğan's rally!
Roll on 29 March please. I have had more than enough politics for one year.
Roll on 29 March please. I have had more than enough politics for one year.
