this is "focus on europe." i'm lara babalola. nice to have you with us. turkey is preparing to hold elections for the parliament and the presidency. but many turks are still coping with the aftermath from the devastating earthquakes that struck the region in february. at least 50,000 people were killed and nearly a dozen major cities lay in ruins in turkey. millions of people lost their homes and are still dependent on aid. oftentimes the survivors' grief is mixed with anger and

frustration. many people feel let down by the state and by president erdogan. the emergency aid that officials vowed to send has been slow to arrive. adiyaman is a stronghold of president erdogan's ruling ak party. the city was especially hard-hit by the earthquake. now after decades in power there, the disaster could cost him and his party crucial votes. reporter: the cemetery in adiyaman gets bigger every day. more than 7,000 new graves have been added since the earthquakes in february. many are temporary, without headstones. memories, salvaged from the rubble. a bridal veil, a soccer jersey. sevda alacan comes here almost

every day. she lost a large part of her family in the quakes. >> this is my niece's grave. she was nine months old. here are my father and my mother, here is one of my brothers, with his children and his wife. sometimes i wish i had died too. it's hard to go on living like this. reporter: adiyaman is considered a stronghold of president recep tayyip erdogan's party. but the quakes may have shaken confidence in the longtime turkish leader and his islamic-rooted akp. recently, erdogan came to adiyaman and promised a speedy reconstruction. but in the tent camps where many now have to live, skepticism is rife. >> after other earthquakes, they didn't rebuild everything

either. so, i don't think they will do anything. they will just forget about us. >> they say they'll rebuild our houses in one year. how is that possible? we can't even clear the rubble in one year. adiyaman is still mostly rubble. -- >> erdogan promises to help only to win the elections i swear to god! people are hungry and miserable here. reporter: burak binzet is head of the opposition chp in adiyaman. he says the government is making a lot of promises before the may 14 elections. but the reality is different, he says. months have passed since the quakes and there are still not enough toilets or drinking water. the people in tents here have no prospects.

this is state failure, no one but the government is responsible for it. there will be a political earthquake in the elections. not only here, but in the whole country. it will not be a bad quake, but a good one. reporter: that's little consolation for those who survived but whose lives have been torn apart. aylin dagdeviren mourns the loss of her parents and brother. she feels helpless and alone. >> i feel sad about the time i won't have with my family anymore. my brother was about to turn 15. i brought a birthday cake to his grave but he wasn't there anymore to blow out the candles.

reporter: aylin wasn't in adiyaman the day the quakes hit. when she came back, her family home was no longer there. rescue teams arrived only days later, she says. large parts of the city had collapsed. many houses were poorly built. experts say the government has not done enough to prepare against earthquakes. to this day, no one can say exactly how many people were killed. >> no one admits mistakes, no one resigns, no one takes responsibili. if the buildings had been built earthquake-proof, if the authorities had checked regularly, then not so many people would have died. reporter: süleyman kilinç has heard this criticism many times in recent weeks.

he himself lost relatives in the quakes. but as mayor of adiyaman and representative of the ruling ak-party, many say he is partly responsible for the problems. >> there may have been shortcomings, but surely not intentionally. no one should distort the truth to gain political advantage. now we must take care of people's problems. that is our plan. and we'll continue to do that, just as we've done for the past 20, 30 years. reporter: at the cemetery, where sevda alacan mourns her family, the discussion about the upcoming elections seems far away. many don't even know where amidst the destruction they will be able to vote. from here, one thing is clear -- whoever wins will face a very difficult task -- to restore hope, where now there

is only despair. lara: the war in ukraine has become a direct threat to the countries bordering the black sea. the waters are now a dangerous place even for beachgoers in constantsa, romania, a member state of the european union. naval mines are drifting through the sea, far from their intended targets. the explosive devices are not only a threat to swimmers but also to shipping traffic. for local fishers like gheorghe, the mines have had a profound impact. his livelihood is being affected and he knows every trip out to sea could be his last. reporter: gheorghe dan giurgiu loves fishing on the black sea. his commercial vessel odiseea departs from the romanian harbor constanta. but since the war in neighbouring ukraine began, his attention has turned to more than just mackerel and mussels. gheorghe: victor! other ship:

yes, yes. gheorghe: did you see a mine? other ship: no no, flamingo is the lucky one. reporter: flamingo is the name of a fellow fishing vessel, that most recently spotted a sea mine. gheorge and his team need to fish to make money, but he says the fear of mines is making things difficult. >> at night we often fish for mussels, but that is limited now. you can't go if it's foggy, or if the moonlight is not bright enough. you have to stay in dock. we're afraid to go. why would you risk it? you could die. reporter: the black sea has always been important to those who live on the coast and make their living from it, but it's also vital for those who pass through. before the war in ukraine, it was the most important routes for grain coming out of ukraine. but that war has made it a

horribly dangerous place. naval mines now float on the black sea. they are relatively cheap to produce and difficult to spot. currents and waves can move them around. that is why nothing can replace the human eye. romanian navy ships like this one are tasked with monitoring for naval mines, and defusing the ones they find. >> gentlemen, what we will do today is start the procedure to eliminate the mine that we just identified on the water's surface. as always, act according to your training. i need you to get your diving suits on, be ready to get into the water, and take action to remove this mine. reporter: before the war in ukraine, these specialist divers were tasked with defusing sea mines from world war ii. but now they're facing new mines. whether originally planted by

russia, or by ukraine to defend their ports the danger is the same. >> our missions are highly risky due to what we are dealing with -- the mine itself is a real danger, as are the explosive devices we use. therefore we have to approach it with extra care. reporter: today the risk level is lower. this is just an exercise, to prepare the divers for the next sea mine they encounter. this beautiful romanian coastline, in constanta, is just a few nautical miles away. soon it will be packed with tourists. those already here have heard of the danger. >> i hope it will be safe, i can go with my family, but not so deep, maybe 10 to 15 metres from the sand. >> hopefully they will manage to keep it safe, hopefully. reporter: this mine contained 30 kilos of

explosives. so far those spotted in the black sea have all been designed to be triggered by a boat, not a person. even so, the romanian navy is trying to keep all naval mines away from the shore. they have found five since last year one of them at the beach. >> five is not a big number, but one single mine ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time is enough to cause much damage and destruction. we're talking about ships, and infrastructure like ports for instance. the risk is always there. reporter: gheorghe used to have a team of five fishermen on his vessel. fear of mines has pushed the number down to two. it makes everything harder.

>> it's more difficult to fish, much more difficult. these mines, if you catch one in your net and bring it close to the ship, it could explode right next to you. that's when it's dangerous. but what can we do? we have to keep fishing to survive. reporter: gheorghe doesn't know how long he can keep his fishing business going. and with so many naval mines in the water, the risk of encountering one will remain for a long time even if the war in ukraine were to end soon. lara: the preferred habitat of wild boars is traditionally the forest. but the animals are highly adaptable, and they reproduce at a rapid rate. these factors have contributed to their migration into urban areas. in the spanish city of barcelona, these omnivores feel right at home. food is plentiful and the animals have no problem searching for their next meal even in broad daylight. the boars have become brazen and their numbers have exploded.

incidents of the animals attacking people are on the rise. carles conejero is barcelona's official wild boar commissioner, tasked with keeping the animals away from the city. it's no easy job. the boars are clever and have quickly learned how to outsmart the hunters. reporter: carles conejero is in search of wild boar tracks. this fence is supposed to keep the animals from reaching the park and moreover, the residential area beyond it. but time and time again, the animals manage to get past it. and barcelona's wild boar commissioner has to find them. >> these are marks of wild boar, which show they've been here. those are from last night. these are newer maybe from this morning. reporter: carles is disappointed. despite the fresh tracks, there's no boar in the trap. but wild boars are clever. some of the corn is gone, yet the trap is still open. no wonder, because wild boars

are fast learners. they feel at home in the las planas district of barcelona in the summer. and they walk through it like they own the place. to some, it may be an amusing sight, but the boars have become a real nuisance. they tear up gardens, attack people, cause accidents, and can transmit diseases. farmer josep ball-llosera is worried about his farm northwest of barcelona. the boars feast at night and leave his fields looking like this. about half of josep's fields are destroyed. he's asked the local government to send hunters many times, but in vain. >> they say there are lots of wild boars, they can't do anything, but that they're keeping an eye on the situation. reporter: not far from josep's farm, the hunters are out every weekend. because this has been designated as a wild boar emergency area. albert mias is making final preparations for the

saturday-morning hunt. >> we blocked off the paths and put up signs, which is really important. now we release the dogs. they follow the boars' scent, and then we try to kill them. and if we miss, we keep searching. reporter: albert goes hunting two or three times a week. and he kills up to seventy boars a year. today though, things are a bit slow. according to the emergency regulation, he and his fellow hunters must shoot more than one thousand wild boars in the region by may. back in barcelona, too much food is ending up in the trash, drawing more and more wild boars. some even manage to tip over the containers to get food. and the clever boars have some other tricks. >> say someone is carrying two plastic bags, the wild boar will bite the person's rear end. and what do you do then?

you're startled, you drop everything and the boar can eat. reporter: still, many who live here seem to have made their peace with the unwelcome guests. >> we co-exist. it's not the same tragedy as with the farmers' fields. here they're not breaking in, eating crops, and destroying fences. >> i was nervous about my chard though. they came onto our property. reporter: out on the hunt, albert mias and his companions are still looking for boars. and they find some. at the end of the day's hunt, they've shot three boars, but they were counting on getting five in the area. fifteen hunters and a whole saturday for three dead boars. it's hard to believe they'll resolve the problem at this rate. does this kind of trap work

better? ignassi de dalmasses swears by this system. it's a pilot project in the region of catalonia. after several wild boars wander inside to eat, they're caught. >> there isn't the same potential to outsmart the system as with other traps. because all the boars that enter lure in even more. reporter: within four days, the trap caught 42 boars. and here, their lives come to an end. the trap of carles, the wild boar commissioner, remained empty for days. but if it does catch any boars, he's prepared. >> we have a blowpipe and a tranquilizer dart. so, the animal is sedated, euthanized, and removed from the cage. reporter: the commissioner's difficult job has existed in barcelona for a decade. in that time, the wild boar population has doubled. at times it can feel like an unwinnable battle. lara: this is esak djanich, a master

of kung fu. he's dedicated his life to sharing his passion for martial arts with young children and teenagers. and he's enjoyed great success. esak is now being honored for his decades of work. he will be inducted into the martial arts hall of fame in the united states. but the sports club he runs near the bosnian town of srebreneetza is short on funds. still esak has managed to build a name for his club far beyond the borders of bosnia and herzegovina. reporter: isak danic has devoted over 40 years of his life to the art of kung fu. about six years ago, he founded the srebrenica kung fu klub and its reputation blossomed ever since. >> this year, we were invited to represent all of bosnia and herzegovina at the world championships. we were proud and full of energy. that's why we did so well -- three gold and four silver

medals and with only five fighters! that's a fantastic result! reporter: he calls his students his dragons. he has no children of his own. three students are at the club today. adnela is the most accomplished. >> it was brilliant in budapest. i'm 14 and really glad i got to go there. i had quite a bit of success, one gold and one silver medal. 35 nations competed in hungary nearly 2000 martial artists in total. and despite its size, bosnia and herzegovina made ninth place on the medal table. for isak's students, the first fight begins off the mats -- it's a struggle to pay the fees. but their determination might be part of the reason they perform so well. isak himself is an unassuming man. his pension amounts to just about 120 euros a month not enough to live on, even in an impoverished bosnia.

so he also raises a yard-full of sheep and goats. >> it works quite well. i sell lambs and young goats. it's just the two of us, me and my wife. she's ill, but somehow, we scrape by. we don't need much, and what we've got is enough for us. reporter: and then, in early spring, the news arrived from faraway america. isak's success as a coach had earned him a spot in the united states martial arts hall of fame. a great honor and recognition of his efforts. >> this is simply the pinnacle of what you can achieve in martial arts at least for me. i don't think there can be any greater recognition maybe winning a world championship.

that would be at about the same level, a gold medal. but to me, this is more important. reporter: but how to pay for the trip to the u.s.? the club doesn't have the funds to sponsor it. the town of srebrenica grants the club only about 2000 euros per year even though it now boasts over a hundred members. isak doesn't want to charge fees. many of the club's members couldn't afford it. they go to a local gymnasium to practice. >> you saw, when we arrived here, there was no water in the toilets. i could have canceled practice, but we're going to keep on going. and when it comes to equipment, we have four sets of training gear. two can fight, two can suit up. the equipment is expensive, and the club has no money. we just manage to get by. reporter: wealthy private donors

occasionally step up as sponsors, especially to finance trips to competitions. but isak seems reluctant to ask for the money to finance his trip to the u.s. his friends and club members are collecting the money for him. >> few people here have jobs, and it's hard for us to collect money to send coach isak to the u.s. for the hall-of-fame ceremony. but we'll get the money together anyway, because we're very, very proud of him! reporter: adnela puts in another practice session at home. two men need to hang up the punching bag for her. and then, the 14-year-old girl gets to it and puts the bag in its place. her martial arts skills command respect.

>> the boys at school don't mess with me, not that they haven't tried. reporter: and how did that go? >> not well for them! reporter: and if she keeps training hard, it's unlikely to go well for her future opponents, either isak is sure of that. after all, more important than his own recognition is the future of his determined dragons. lara: they have been a part of the parisian cityscape for hundreds of years, the bouquinistes on the river senn. the merchants sell antiquarian books on the riverbank and have even achieved unesco heritage status. tourists and locals come to the stalls to search for treasures and bargains. despite the charm and nostalgia, being a bouquiniste is a labor of love not a financial home run. it's a profession that requires expertise, passion, and a little luck. reporter: laurent bussière's love for all things literary has resulted in quite the collection.

now, his dream of making his passion into his profession might just come true. >> i hope to make a little money with it. but first and foremost, it's my passion. it's not about how much money i can earn. reporter: laurent has applied to sell books along the seine out of boxes like these. and if he succeeds, he'll become a so-called bouquiniste. just like jérôme callais. jérôme is part of the selection committee that decides who gets to be a bouquiniste and who doesn't. >> a good bouquiniste has a love for people, for books, for culture and has passion. they understand that a bouquiniste is a bookseller and always will be. reporter: a treasure trove for the readers of paris. currently, there are 220 bouquinistes along the river seine. the boxes belong to the city but are free for the booksellers. in a sense, they're paying for the spot with the charm they

provide. >> it just looks really good. vintage looks, we like vintage looks, that's why we're here and looking at all the prints. >> it has charm and a certain ambience it's the spirit of paris. reporter: it's a special kind of person who will come out day after day, rain or shine, in the name of the written word. an exhibition at the town hall of the third arrondissement pays tribute to them. >> they are real personalities. bouquinistes are people with a lot of character. they know what they want. they don't want a boss, they do it to be free. reporter: culture, character, freedom. the bouquinistes are the city's merchants of art. and paris wouldn't be the same without them. lara: perhaps some inspiration for a character in a book. that's all from us this week at "focus on europe." thank you for watching, and bye for now. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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05/25/23 05/25/23 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] nermeen: from new york, this is democracy now! >> you woke verse is a cultural marxism. at the end of the day, an attack on the truth and because it is a were untrue, i think we have no choice but to wage a war on woke. nermeen: florida republican governor ron desantis has formally launched his presidential campaign. we will go to florida to look at his record and his attacks on workers' rights. then we look at the war in