ANKARA
Opposition politicians have lodged a request with Turkey’s Constitutional Court asking it to silence President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the run-up to next month’s general election.
Ali Urkut and Hulya Capar Duran, from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), called for a court order to prevent Erdogan, the former leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), making statements that breach electoral rules on presidential impartiality.
In a statement released on Saturday, the party said Urkut, the HDP co-vice president, and Duran, a member of the party’s legal committee, had filed separate suits on Friday for a “judgment to prevent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s activities.”
The statement added that Erdogan’s comments were “an obstacle to forming a fair, free and equal election environment” and accused him of using “citizen’s taxes in order to gain votes for a political party.”
Turkey’s electoral laws ban the president from openly supporting any political party.
In the run up to the June 7 election, Erdogan has been giving speeches at opening ceremonies across Turkey, during which he has often promoted the presidential system he wants to see replace Turkey’s current parliamentary democracy.
During these speeches he has mentioned the number of parliamentary seats needed to secure such a constitutional change, which opposition parties view as campaigning for the AKP.
Currently, the presidency is a largely symbolic position with the prime minister serving as the head of government. Erdogan, who served as prime minister for three terms before becoming president in August last year, wants to assume more presidential powers.
Earlier this week, the pro-Kurdish HDP filed a complaint with the Supreme Election Board asking it to warn Erdogan against breaching the rules on presidential impartiality. The complaint was rejected unanimously.
On Friday, Erdogan, the first president to be elected by popular vote, said he would “express my thoughts and views about my country and my nation during this election at every opportunity."
