Turkey's election watchdog discuss search in governor's building
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Turkey's election watchdog discussed Wednesday a police search conducted in a building containing offices of the governorship of the eastern province of Tunceli. (UPDATED)
Turkish police conducted a search on Tuesday in a basement depot belonging to the Special Provincial Administration in Tunceli on an official complaint from municipal assembly members from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) that political party flags and other propaganda materials were stored inside.
Five placards belonging to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) were discovered in the search, Dogan News Agency quoted Tunceli Public Prosecutor Zekeriya Beyazit as saying on Wednesday.
The governor's office said in a statement Tuesday that no political propaganda material related to the March 29 local elections were found in the search of the depot belonging to the Special Provincial Administration.
Head of Turkey's Higher Election Board (YSK), Muammer Aydin, told reporters Wednesday that they have demanded “the necessary documents” from the Public Prosecutor's Office in Tunceli. The board would convene to discuss the issue at 5:00 p.m. (1500 GMT), he added.
Under Turkish law, governors are public servants and are banned from having any political party affiliations.
Tunceli Governor Mustafa Yaman came under the spotlight recently after white goods were distributed to the poor as part of the governorship’s aid campaign, a move heavily criticized by the opposition parties and the media as an attempt by the ruling party to woo voters ahead of the local elections on March 29.
Tunceli is the only province that the AKP has failed to win any representatives for parliament.