ANKARA: Turkey’s top election body yesterday banned a television advertisement by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his campaign for president on the grounds that it contained excessive religious symbolism.
Erdogan has unleashed an energetic campaign with TV adverts and billboards across the country. These include a slick three-minute long television advertisement which has been broadcast on federal channels since Monday and seeks to portray Erdogan as a people’s president. It includes the sound of the call to prayer, footage of a woman praying and her prayer carpet.
The High Election Council found the religious images violated the rules against the use of any religious symbols in televised election campaign material, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
AFP
