Although Turkish president Tayyip Erdoğan is said to have already helped more than two million people, thousands of poor and unemployed families in the province of Van receive no state support whatsoever. Erdoğan had declared that needy citizens should apply to governors or land councils to get help. In Van, thousands of people have so far turned to these bodies without success. At the offices of governors, most of the needy were turned away directly. The vast majority of those who receive support, on the other hand, have already been designated or directly nominated on lists by the AKP provincial association and its regional divisions.

One worker told ANF that he was the only earner of his family of eight and is now unemployed. "We are in a very difficult situation. I went to the district governor’s office to get help. But they told me that no applications for help will be accepted. No help is given to the poor and unemployed. Those who are given help were put on lists by the AKP and their names were given to the district governorates. They are only people from the provincial and district associations and collaborators of the AKP."