‘Erdoğan doesn’t have a diploma, reject his application to run for President’

* Erdoğan receiving honorary PhD from Uludağ University / December 22, 2015

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The People's Liberation Party (HKP) has applied to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) about the university diploma of President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Arguing that the Council has not made the necessary examination and inquiry about the issue, the HKP has requested that the YSK not accept the application to be submitted by Erdoğan to run for President.

In its petition, the party has referred to Article 3 of the Law no. 7062 on the Establishment and Duties of the Supreme Election Council, Article 10 of the Constitution and Article 3 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

The HKP has argued that "the Constitution and legal provisions and principles of independence and impartiality are disregarded when it comes to the higher education diploma, of which Erdoğan is obliged to submit a notary certified copy to the Council to be the President."

The petition of the party has also recalled that the Notaries Union of Turkey warned the notary which did not launch an investigation against the notary's clerk who allegedly certified the photocopied version of Erdoğan's diploma as "the same as original" without seeing the original.

After applying to the YSK, HKP Vice Secretary General and Ankara Provincial Chair and lawyer Sait Kıran made a statement.

"It is within the knowledge of the entire public that Erdoğan, who is considered to be a candidate for the 2023 or snap elections, did not have a diploma in due form at the previous elections," said the party official, arguing that "a photocopy of the diploma was taken to a notary in İstanbul by the driver of Erdoğan's the-then principal clerk and the diploma was certified in an undue manner without the original diploma being presented."

Recalling that the HKP made three other applications about the issue before, Kıran said, "Our applications were ignored and rejected by the YSK in violation of clear legal provisions." Referring to the period leading up to the upcoming elections, Kıran said that they once again remind the Supreme Election Council of its constitutional and legal responsibilities.

Accordingly, the HKP has requested that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's application to run for President be rejected by the YSK in the event that he makes an application at the upcoming Presidential elections.

The party has also announced that they will take legal action against the members of the YSK if the party's request is rejected. (AEK/SD)