Turkish minister defends electoral handouts, deliveries resume
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Turkey's Justice Minister said Wednesday that handouts given by state officials to electorates in the eastern province of Tunceli are excluded from decision taken by the country's election watchdog. The distribution of handouts resumed later in the day after a brief suspension.
Turkish media recently published images of officials from the Tunceli Governor's Office and a foundation distributing new refrigerators, washing machines, desktop computers and furniture in    Officials from the Governor's Office had continued to distribute free house-hold goods to electorates in the Tunceli province despite the ongoing investigation and YSK's decision.  MINISTER DEFENDS HANDOUTS Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin defended Wednesday the handouts distributed by state officials and the foundation.  "The decision of the YSK binds only political parties and candidates," he told reporters.  The Tunceli Governorship suspended the distribution of further handouts pending the outcome the ongoing the Prosecutor's Office’s investigation, Dogan News Agency reported after Sahin's remarks.  Deputy Governor of Tunceli, Oguz Alp Caglar told the agency that the distribution of goods was halted because they were out of stock, and denied any decision reaching them from a legal institution, including YSK.  The Governorship resumed handouts later in the day after an interruption of a few hours.  The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has been long been accused by opposition parties and the media of using government funds to win votes. The AKP said it is the government's duty to help the poor under the constitution's welfare state provisions.