Saadet Party (SP) is working real hard on their election campaign. They are quite hostile against AKP, who derived from SP. I don’t think this party will have a substantive vote share in elections but they are keen on consolidating in what they have.

 Party leaders and their relation to their hometowns are interesting. Maybe they don't spend much time in their hometowns but those are where they start their career or return for a new start.

I guess the best Mesut Yılmaz could be the best example at this moment.  He is an independent candidate in Rize, his hometown. After a miserable failure and resignation from ANAP, he restarts his political career. Mehmet Ağar had a blow in the Susurluk scandal but he recovered in his hometown, Elazığ, where he got the majority of votes and got elected as an independent.

Deniz Baykal will also be nominated in his hometown, Antalya. Though I guess he could be elected in many places where CHP is powerful.

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli is always nominated in Osmaniye. Süleyman Demirel, one of our longest term politician and who is hopefully not coming back, had a very strong hold in his hometown, Isparta. Erkan Mumcu, a novice and propably disappering political personality, was also elected in Isparta, his hometown. After being ditched by Mr. Ağar, we will see if he survives in near future...

Exceptional cases are Bülent Ecevit, Necmettin Erbakan and Tayyip Erdoğan. Mr. Ecevit was born in Kastamonu but Zonguldak, a hometown to mine workers, was where he got always elected. Mr. Erbakan was born in Sinop but he had been welcomed in the very conservative city of Konya. Mr Erdoğan was born in Rize but his parliament career started in a interesting election in Siirt, where is his wife's hometown. This is all a very fast-paced roundup. You are all welcome for additions or corrections.

From the Galata bridge, İstanbul. Nothing to do with elections:) Just usual national propaganda forthe nation herself. 

Vincent Boland in Turkey’s conservative modernity:

Aged 18, Gamze Cakir and Esra Ertas will be first-time voters in Turkey’s general election on Sunday. Yet each has already made one of the most important decisions of her adult life.

Ms Cakir lives in a village called Kahramanlar in the east of the country, a region where subsistence farming and traditional social customs shape daily life. She has decided that, unlike her mother and sister, she will not wear the Muslim headscarf. Ms Ertas lives 1,400km away in Izmir, a laid-back city on the Aegean coast full of good restaurants and palm-lined streets. She has decided that she will wear it, probably after she finishes her fashion studies....

Independent candidates are a solution to 10% obstacle. Even one of the most radical leftistalliance, Ezilenlerin Sosyalist Platformu, as its candidate. 

Independent candidates for elections

Cengiz AKTAR

Independent candidates

Cüneyt ÜLSEVER

Two columnists I care for today released their comments on the phenomenon of independent candidates. I suppose they are will partially solve the representation problem. Baskın Oran so far is the most promoted independent candidate. However, he has lost mass support from Kurdish and independent Islamist voters after critiques of Kurdish movement and support for the headscarf ban. He has a more "intellectual left" support base but i believe he will make it. In the mean time, pro-Kurdish party's independent candidates will certainly make a difference. Their state of electedness directly influence AKP's parliamentary options. Under normal conditions, AKP would get most of the southeastern MEPs but now it might lose a significant amount to DTP candidates. Still, some argue DTP won't be that successfull or even if they are successful they might support AKP in the parliament...

 Demokrat Party is less visible where I hang out and after the failure to merge with ANAP, it has a lower profile but still it has potential to exceed the 10% share.

Erdogan said he will leave politics if his ruling AK Party did not win enough seats to form a government. VIA

Turkish poll candidate shot dead

An independent candidate,  is shot dead in his car in Istanbul ahead of Sunday's election in Turkey. Tuncay Seyranlioglu's car was hit with gunfire on a highway as it was taking him away from a television studio, the Anatolia news agency says...

Economic success backs gov’t for final week of campaign

Turkish Islamic Businesses Help Erdogan's Re-Election

By Louis Meixler

Hahahah the old radical, revolutionary standing. Boycott the elections!  Well, I used to boycott theelections and when i saw this poster as a sign from my days I decided to take a picture:)