Streets Witnesses Election Campaigns

Every day, several parties are campaigning in Istanbuls main pedestrian precinct, Istiklal Street. ANAP has not joined these elections. Supporters of pro-Kurdish independent candidates have been stopped from setting up a campaign stall.

İstanbul

One of Istanbul's central districts, Beyoglu, is home to a variety of people. This year, the main pedestrian precinct, Istiklal Street is witnessing a relatively quiet election campaign.

When we walked along the street yesterday, the Turkish Communist Party (TKP), the Republican People's Party (CHP), and supporters of independent candidate academic Baskin Oran were on the street, handing out information. We accompanied the campaigners along the street.

People want change

Özgür of the TKP was handing out a leaflet called "Time to leave the Herd". Özgür is part of the Patriotic Youth Movement and has helped with the campaign since the schools have closed for the summer. He says that people's reactions are positive. They are fed up with parties that all resemble each other. According to Özgür, the long-term aim of the TKP is to be in government.

Beyoglu for Özgür represents Turkey, because such different people live, work and pass through it.

ANAP office quiet

We pass the Motherland Party's (ANAP) Beyoglu district Office. Because ANAP's union with the former True Path Party (DYP) was unsuccessful, the latter has formed the new Democrat Party (DP) on its own. ANAP is not joining the general elections. Veysel Gök, on duty in the ANAP office, says that it is quiet there. He questions how far these elections will reflect the people's will because the elections were organised in such haste.

"Elections an opportunity"

Atakan Duru of the CHP's youth branch, on the other hand, believes that these elections are "the opportunity the people have been waiting for".

"We saw in the debate about the presidential elections that some people want to drag Turkey into darkness. That's why these elections are timely. Otherwise the economy would have suffered".

Aysel and Ayla Bilen who were looking for information in the ANAP office, challenge Deniz Baykal, leader of the CHP to "talk to us about livelihoods; if he does, we will vote for him".

Baskin Oran's campaign

In front of the Benetton shop in Istiklal Street, supporters of the independent candidate Baskin Oran have opened a stall and are handing out information.

Özlem Barut says that they have stepped up their campaign this week. "Baskin Oran has joined meetings in different places in the city, thus becoming better-known and better-understood."

Another supporter, wishing to remain anonymous, supported the pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) in the 2002 general elections, and has no high hopes for these elections either.

Police stops pro-Kurdish volunteers

Meanwhile, police stopped campaign volunteers for the two independent candidates supported by the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) from setting up a stand in the same street. In order to circumvent the 10% election hurdle, the DTP has fielded independent candidates in this election. In Istanbul's second and third constituency respectively, these are Dogan Erbas and Sebahat Tuncel.

The justification was that the stand was not to be further than 50 metres away from the election office. The volunteers were forced to walk along the street and hand out leaflets. Volunteer Pınar Isik said, "We cannot measure the people's reactions because we have somehow not been able to open a stand. If we did, then we could introduce our candidates and understand the people's thoughts about this election".

Another volunteer for the DTP-supported candidates said that people were not showing interest.

One passer-by, Deniz Kahraman, said when he heard that candidate Tuncel was in prison: "We have never seen anyone go into parliament from prison; that would be interesting. (AÖ/EÜ)