ISTANBUL: Two Turkish opinion polls on Wednesday showed a narrow majority of Turks, between 51-52 percent, would vote ‘yes’ in Sunday’s referendum on changing the constitution to create an executive presidency.
Voters in Turkey will go to the polls on April 16 to decide whether to give Erdogan sweeping new powers. Voting by Turks abroad began as early as late March and finished on Sunday.
A survey by pollsters ANAR put the ‘yes’ vote on 52 percent. Its poll was conducted face-to-face with more than 4,000 people on April 5-10 in 26 provinces.
The number of undecided voters has fallen to 8 percent, ANAR said, adding that after distribution of these voters, there was a two percentage point rise in the ‘yes’ vote compared with its survey at the start of March.
The results only apply to voters in Turkey, with the level of ‘yes’ support among voters abroad expected to raise the ‘yes’ vote slightly, ANAR said in a statement shared on Twitter by its general manager Ibrahim Uslu.
Erdogan said on Tuesday Turks living overseas had turned out in greater numbers to vote, a development that pollsters say could benefit him.
The referendum campaign has damaged Turkey’s ties with some European allies. Erdogan has said the banning on security grounds of some rallies by Turkish ministers in the Netherlands and Germany reflects “Nazi-like” tactics in those countries.
The Konsensus polling company put the ‘yes’ vote on 51.2 percent after the distribution of undecided voters. It conducted its survey face-to-face with 2,000 people on April 2-8 in 41 provinces.
Turkish referendum polls put ‘yes’ vote slightly ahead
Turkish referendum polls put ‘yes’ vote slightly ahead
’Not much is standing’ in Gaza, says UN official
- “We can’t wait, we can’t procrastinate,” da Silva said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an “inhumane situation“
- He said the launch of phase two of the Gaza truce plan marked a “historical” moment
JERUSALEM: A top United Nations official on Thursday called for accelerating reconstruction work in Gaza, saying Palestinians there were living in “inhumane” conditions, even as a US-backed truce entered its second phase.
“I wouldn’t have imagined what I saw today, which is total destruction, not much is standing,” Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) told journalists after a visit to the Gaza Strip.
“We can’t wait, we can’t procrastinate,” he said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an “inhumane situation.”
The two-year war between Hamas and Israeli forces has left Gaza facing destruction on a scale unseen in previous conflicts, with vast swathes reduced to rubble.
Entire residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools and basic infrastructure have been heavily damaged or destroyed, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to live in makeshift shelters.
Da Silva said the launch of phase two of the Gaza truce plan marked a “historical” moment that should be seized to kick-start reconstruction efforts.
“This opens the opportunities for reconstruction, knowing that we will need $52 billion, according to the assessment conducted by the World Bank, UN and the European Commission, for the reconstruction of Gaza,” he said.
“But the point is we can’t wait for the big reconstruction, which requires billions, to immediately launch the early recovery that requires millions.”
On Wednesday, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of phase two of the Gaza ceasefire, saying it aimed to pave the way for reconstruction and the demilitarization of all armed factions in the territory.
The war was triggered by the Palestinian Islamist group’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ensuing Israeli offensive has devastated Gaza, home to about 2.2 million people, a territory that was already suffering severely from previous rounds of fighting and from an Israeli blockade imposed since 2007.
Da Silva said the war had left about 60 million tons of rubble scattered across the strip.
“Gaza is flooded by rubble and debris,” he said.
“The problem is not just the volume of rubble, it’s also the fact that its content is quite a matter of concern, with unexploded ordnance in the rubble, dangerous waste, and unfortunately also human remains.”
The environmental and urban planning specialist said one of the most urgent priorities was ensuring reliable access to fuel — a critical resource in Gaza, where most electricity is generated by fuel-powered generators.
He also cited the need for demining, rebuilding water supply networks, lifting restrictions on the entry of aid, and allowing in spare parts required for repairs — long-standing demands by humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza.
Aid groups have for months complained of difficulties bringing in equipment and supplies, blaming Israeli restrictions.
Israel rejects those accusations, saying it oversees the entry of goods into Gaza to ensure its security.
