Pro- Kurdish Candidates Allowed To Run in Elections

The Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) took a step back and ruled that six of the seven independent candidates, backed by a coalition of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and socialists, are eligible to stand in June elections.

Harun Özcan, Hatip Dicle, Leyla Zana, Mehmet Salih Yıldız, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Gültan Kışanak and Sebahat Tuncel will be able to run for MP, while İsa Gürbüz was once again denied in yesterday's ruling -which is final.

"People's resistance yielded this result. The YSK had to take back its veto for the candidates of the Labor, Democracy and Freedom Block," said Kürkçü, who will run in the southern city of Mersin.

This is a gain in the name of democracy, said Tuğluk and added "I wish that the Board would make this ruling before a citizen is killed".

Protests took off after  YSK turned down 12 independent candidates. Seven of those were backed by a coalition of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and a number of socialist parties and groups.

Despite a recent legislative reform and previous case files contradicting its arguments, the YSK contended that those candidates have been convicted of "terror crimes", therefore stripped of their rights to stand as MPs. (ÇT/EÖ/EÜ)