A candidate for mayor of Turkey’s southeastern district of Uludere from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) claimed that people who visited his campaign office have been subject to investigation on suspicion of providing support to terrorists.
Salih Tanık said that due to such pressure he had to shut down his campaign office in the run-up to local elections scheduled for March 31, the Cumhuriyet daily reported on Friday.
The candidate announced the political pressure by posting a banner on his election office window.
Tanık, who was previously a local politician from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said the pressure started after he was nominated by the opposition CHP.
He claimed that the son of an elderly visitor to the office was detained on terrorism allegations and that three village guards were threatened with dismissal from their government jobs after paying him a visit.