in Turkey, Russian exiles not excited by the presidential election in their country

Several tens of thousands of Russians went into exile in Turkey after the invasion of Ukraine. Called to vote since Friday, they will not rush to the consulate this weekend for the presidential election.

There are several tens of thousands of nationals who chose Turkey and Istanbul after the invasion of Ukraine. They are among the nearly two million Russians living abroad called to vote from Friday March 15 to Sunday March 17. Vladimir Putin is running for re-election to obtain a fifth term at the head of Russia. A vote decided in advance, which should bring him to power until 2030.

For these Russians exiled in the Turkish capital, the Grao café on the Asian side of the Bosphorus is a reunion point. But the election hardly occupies the conversations. “For a year and a half, I haven’t been informed about Russia. The result is as predictable as the sunrise every morning, justifies Ilia, the waiter, who will not vote this year. Taking part in this election is taking part in a comedy. It is outside of any legal framework.”

“It’s scary because propaganda works”

Arriving in Turkey just before the war, Ilia devoted his energy to building his life here. It has become more and more difficult as Turkey renews residence permits for Russian citizens sparsely. Sasha will go to vote to feel like she still belongs to a country that escapes her more and more every day. “It gives a bit of the illusion of having a choice, she explains. It’s not going to change anything. But it feels strange not to participate because everyone loves their country. It is your house. It’s hard to part with it because your family lives there, your friends too. Not everyone can leave Russia.

“It’s scary because the propaganda works. You realize it when you go home, you talk to people and they think differently, it’s like Stockholm syndrome.”

Sasha, Russian national in Istanbul

at franceinfo

We are far from the commitment of Eva, coordinator of the Ark project, which supports Russian political exiles in Turkey. She will be on Sunday at noon in front of the Russian consulate, following the instructions of the supporters of the opponent of Alexei Navalny, who died on February 16. “The idea is to put a grain of sand in the machine, she explains. Because if the regime can show that Putin is successfully re-elected and has enormous popular support, then there can be a hardening in the future with a new order of mobilization, more repression. SHe’s less confident, it might be less hard, but we expect bad things to happen after March and maybe a new wave of people flee the country. “

Eva also fears the reaction of the Turkish authorities during her mobilization. In Istanbul, for example, it was not possible to lay flowers in front of the consulate in tribute to Navalny. “Honestly, I don’t know what it’s going to look like here on Sunday but there will be a lot of us going,” she concludes.