Campaign prohibitions ahead of March 31 local polls begin

Prohibitions on election propaganda, as determined by Turkey's Supreme Election Board (YSK), came into force Thursday.

According to the prohibitions, political parties and independent candidates can campaign orally, visually and in written form via media, advertisements and websites. However, verbal propaganda is not allowed in public institutions, houses of worship, highways and squares that are not designated by district election boards.

In addition, until March 31, election rallies, speeches and inauguration ceremonies will be allowed in public institutions, municipalities and institutions having statutory bodies.

Campaigning by speakers is permitted until two hours before sunset, provided it does not disturb the peace and comfort of the public and other parties or independent candidates, who might be holding a meeting at the same time. Visual and verbal propaganda can be made at election offices without causing noise pollution.

Political parties cannot send e-mails and text messages to citizens for campaign purposes; voice, visual or written messages can only be sent to members of the party.

According to the regulations, parties and mayoral candidates are allowed to distribute brochures, party flags, posters, banners and CD/DVDs to propagate; yet, gifts and samples of any object cannot be distributed by a party itself or through third persons.

Parties and mayoral candidates can open election offices to operate campaign activities; nevertheless, tents, caravans, trucks and stationed buses, which are used for commercial purposes, cannot serve as election offices.

Election offices can be open to the public and operate between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. All posters, advertisements and party banners will be removed from election offices before Saturday, March 30, 6 p.m., and election offices have to finalize their activities at the same time.

Deputies and ministers will not be allowed to use official vehicles for election visits or for the purposes of campaigning during this period. Protocol rankings for the bureaucracy, welcoming or farewell ceremonies and official banquets will not be held.

With 10 days left for the election day, surveys, opinion polls and predictions that favor/disfavor any mayoral candidate or political party and can affect the votes of citizens will not be allowed or carried out or distributed.

In case of violation of any prohibitions, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK), the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) and the Union of Access Providers (ESB) are the authorized bodies to be informed.