More News from the Election Front

Turkish elections are just over a month away. Several uncertain candidates have been able to confirm their candidacies. Control of the media during pre-election period will increase. Istanbul independent candidates have launched their election campaig

İstanbul

The Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) has revised the decision of the Province Electoral Board to reject the candidature of former prostitute Ayse Tükrükcü. She had applied as a candidate for Istanbul's second constituency and will now enter the elections as an independent candidate. Tükrükcü has vowed to campaign for more women's shelters.

Current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's candidacy had also been objected to because of his conviction under Article 312/2 of the old Turkish Penal Code, but the objection was overruled. Former Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education, Necat Birinci, and Numan Kurtulmus, a member of the general administrative board of the Islamist Saadet Party, have also managed to persevere in their candidacies.

Television channels punished

Two private television channels, CNN Türk and Meltem Tv, have received a punishment of a three-programme ban for broadasting the Prime Minister's speech at the opening of the Social Housing Department (TOKI).

The Supreme Radio and Television Board (RTÜK) has organised an educational meeting for local radio stations and television channels in order to inform them about laws regarding propaganda and broadcasts in the pre-election period. According to RTÜK president Zahid Akman, the Board will decide this week how to proceed with parliamentary candidates who appear on television.

TKP worker candidates

According to the General Secretary Kemal Okuyan, 205 of the candidates for the Turkish Communist Party (TKP) are workers, 30 of whom are metal workers.

Istanbul Independent Candidates

Uras and Oran have launched campaign

Ufuk Uras and Baskin Oran, two independent candidates for the left standing in Istanbul's first and second constituencies respectively, have begun their election campaigns.

Baskin Oran's first gathering was attended by around 2,000 people, among them writers Yasar Kemal and Adalet Agaoglu. Journalist Aydin Engin was presenting at the rally and said "We are breaking the mould by being the voice of those being oppressed because of their ethnic, religious or sexual identities".

Yasar Kemal thanked Baskin Oran for accepting the difficulties and told people to vote for Oran. Academic Baskin Oran said his decision to stand as an independent candidate had been motivated by the need to bring different voices into parliament.

Ufuk Uras launched his campaign with a boat trip across the Bosphorus. He spoke about "digging a tunnel", referring to the strategy of the independent candidate project to circumvent the 10% electoral hurdle put in place by the military regime of the early 1980s. (EÜ/AÖ/AG/EÜ)

* Some of the information in this article is taken from ntvmsnbc.com and Radikal newspaper.