Erdogan's 'friends' in Turkey's conservative heartland expect 'a reward' in return for votes

In Bayburt, with its old Fiat cars, teahouse games of backgammon and yellow tulips, life seems calm. In this village, in eastern Anatolia, support for the "Erdogan fortress" is massive. This green, rural province is the least populated in Turkey, with just 84,00 inhabitants, and the smallest contributor to the country's GDP. But it was also the province that voted most wholeheartedly for incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the first round of the presidential elections on May 14, giving him almost 80% of its vote, compared with 49.5% nationwide. "Our expectation from Tayyip Erdogan is to give us a reward" says Yusuf Yolcu, a small business owner in Bayburt, "it would be great if he rewards us in return, if he builds a factory for us, provides us with employment opportunities."

VIDEO BY AFP

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