Supreme Election Council rejects three presidential candidacy applications

Click to read the article in Turkish

The Supreme Election Council (YSK) has rejected the presidential candidacy of three people on the ground that their applications were not "made directly to the council."

In its decision concerning the applications made for presidential candidacy in the May 14 elections announced today, YSK rejected the presidential candidacy of Murat Hakan Uzan, Cem Cengiz Uzan, and Hürrem Ayaz.

The council identified that Murat Hakan Uzan and Cem Cengiz Uzan had not made their applications directly to YSK, but via their attorneys, and therefore rejected their applications.

Another application, that of Hürrem Ayaz, was rejected for the same reason since it was sent by post and not directly submitted to YSK.

Absent documents were identified that should be completed today in nine applications, including the one for the president of the New Welfare Party (YRP).

The Uzan family

The Uzan family is a well-known family in Turkey. In the early 2000's Cem C. Uzan was the founder of a political party, the Young Party (Genç Parti). The party competed with Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the 2002 elections and got 7.25 percent of the votes in the election which was the first one the party entered.

In 2003 and 2004, more than 200 companies, including prominent media outlets, of the Uzan family, one of the richest families in the country at the time, were seized by the government on the ground of fraud allegations.

Uzan left Turkey in 2009 and applied to France for political asylum. He has been living in Paris since then.

Murat Hakan Uzan is his brother who also was elected the president of the Young Party for a period and who also is living abroad.

Applications with absent documents

YSK found absent documents in nine other applications and requested the missing documents to be completed by 5:00 pm. today.

The declaration of property is missing in İrfan Uzun's application, while a high-resolution photograph in electronic medium is missing in Davut Turan's.

In Muhammed Ali Fatih Erbakan's application, an approved copy of his diploma showing that he has completed higher education is absent in addition to photographs.

Again the declaration of property and a high-resolution photograph in electronic medium is missing in Ahmet Özal's application.

The declaration of property is missing in Duran Güveninir's application in addition to the receipt showing that the 555 thousand 980 lira has been paid for the application and the photographs.

In Erkan Trükten's application, the declaration of property is missing plus the high-resolution photograph in an electronic medium and the receipt of the application fee.

Levent Akyollu again has not submitted the receipt of payment of the application fee and has not duly filled in the declaration of property.

Selami Karagöz's application lacks an approved copy of his diploma, the declaration of property, the receipt, and the photographs.

These nine have to complete the absent documents by 5:00 pm today in order for YSK to approve their application. (ME/PE)