Kurdish candidates can run in Turkey

ISTANBUL – On Thursday afternoon the Election Board in Turkey decided to allow six independent Kurdish candidates to run in the general elections after all. The decision follows days of unrest, after the Board on Monday announced a ban on the candidates from participating.

Six of the seven banned Kurdish politicians are now allowed to run, among whom the well known activist Leyla Zana and the current Member of Parliament Sebahat Tuncel. It remains unclear whether the Election Board was influenced by the strong protests in Istanbul and several cities in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of the country. On Wednesday one person was killed during the protests.
The general elections are on June 12.