Erdogan, Erbakan, Bozlak And Birdal Banned From Polls

ANKARA - The Higher Election Board ruled on Friday that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Necmettin Erbakan, the former leader of the banned Welfare Party (RP); Murat Bozlak, the former leader of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP); and Akin Birdal, the former leader of the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) could not run the general elections to be held on November 3, 2002.
YSK Executive Secretary Veli Yildiz distributed YSK's press release to journalists.
In the press release, the YSK said, ''during its meeting on September 20, 2002, the YSK ruled that Erdogan, Erbakan, Bozlak and Birdal cannot become candidate in the general elections. The YSK took its decisions about Erdogan and Erbakan with a majority of votes, and its decision about Bozlak and Birdal unanimously.''