MESOP NEWS REFERENDUM COUNTING RESULTS IN KURDISTAN (TURKEY)

Another surprising result was Muş’s support for the changes, despite the fact that in the last general elections 61.8 percent of the province backed the HDP. Muş, just like Urfa, is home to an electorate that is politically very similar to the rest of the AK Party constituency.

Investment flow toward the region and Kurdish community’s outlook directly affects nationalistic sentiments.

While not considered a HDP stronghold like Hakkari, Siirt, Batman, Mardin, Şırnak or Diyarbakır, Kars too is a province where the party receives significant support, 34 percent in the last elections. In the June 7, 2015 elections, the HDP, which had garnered significant support due to concerns that it would not be passing the 10 percent threshold, received 43 percent backing in Kars. Its support for the PKK hurt it significantly with a nine percent drop in Kars. Still, Kars, unlike many neighboring provinces, voted “yes” for the reforms.

Despite the solid support it has come to depend on in many provinces in the east and southeast, the HDP should note with worry that the “no” vote in several of its strongholds was just above 50 percent. While, it is no surprise that the party was able to achieve levels above 60 percent in Diyarbakır, Hakkari, Batman and Şırnak, its clear loss of influence in most of the provinces in the region should be an obvious warning signal and that it should no longer take the Kurdish vote for granted. www.mesop.de