Fake posters attacking Ankara’s main opposition candidate reveal even more skullduggery in a Turkish election campaign
Personal attacks against Turkey’s national party leaders – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Devlet Bahçeli – have become almost the norm in this election campaign, but a series of posters in Ankara show the attacks can be just as vehement in local races.
The latest controversy was caused by posters that appeared overnight on bus shelters across the capital. They depicted Mr Yavaş and Hüseyin Aygün, a CHP MP for Tunceli, side-by-side with the arms aloft, showing the victory sign. Mr Yavaş’s hand is comically large – almost as large as his head. The slogan above reads: “We will govern together”. Next to the CHP logo, the strapline simply says “Vote CHP”. The poster is a clear personal attack on Mr Yavaş.
Mr Yavaş is a well-established politician on the right-wing. That is precisely why the CHP nominated him for mayor of Turkey’s conservative capital city. As a former MHP man, he is better placed than most to collect the anti-Erdoğan vote in Ankara in one place and challenge the incumbent AK Party mayor, Melih Gökçek.

The poster caused a stir because because the man Mr Yavaş is portrayed embracing, Hüseyin Aygün, is quite his polar opposite. An Alevi on the far left of the CHP, Mr Aygün represents everything a stereotypical MHP voter would detest: he comes from a minority group (he is an Alevi), he supports the Kurdish peace process, and he is fervently left wing.
The subtext is rather unsubtle: Mr Yavaş is not the man you think he is. Look at his associates. Don’t vote for him.
Hand larger than head
The CHP quickly denied it had anything to do with the poster and said its campaign workers were tearing them down wherever they could find them. Mr Yavaş himself appeared amused when he tweeted asking anyone making a “pirate poster to not make my hand larger than my head”.
Bir daha korsan afiş yaparken rica ediyorum elimi kafamdan büyük yapmayın lütfen… : )
— Mansur Yavaş (@mansuryavas06) March 10, 2014
But yesterday he told Kanal A, a local television station, that he was “uncomfortable” about appearing in the same photograph as Mr Aygün: “We might be from the same party, but we don’t need to have the same opinions”, he said.
So the poster has clearly made an impact, but who is actually responsible for them?
The obvious answer might be Mr Yavaş’s former party, the MHP. But Mr Yavaş and other CHP members believe it was produced by supporters of Mr Gökçek, who benefits from a split CHP-MHP vote.
‘Is Yavaş ashamed?’
Early on Tuesday morning, CHP campaigners say they spotted four people putting up more Yavaş-Aygün posters on bus shelters in northern Ankara. They called the police and two suspects were arrested. Press reports said the suspects’ car contained multiple copies of the offending poster alongside legitimate AK Party campaign posters.
Mr Gökçek has been coy over the case, accusing Mr Yavaş of trying to deceive MHP voters. “Is Mansur Yavaş ashamed of the CHP and Hüseyin Aygün? He is clearly ashamed of being on the left wing.”
With less than ten days to go, the Gökçek-Yavaş mayoral race in Ankara remains too close to call.
Superb, what a web site it is! This blog provides valuable datya to us, keep it up.
my blog post win powerball strategies
What’s up to every , for the reason that I am in fact keen of reading this blog’s post
to be updated on a regular basis. It carries fastidious material.
S1OXpS Im obliged for the article post. Really Cool.
jaj3z7 Pretty! This was a really wonderful article. Thanks for supplying this info.
“Enjoyed every bit of your post. Really Great.”
I really like and appreciate your article post.Really thank you! Much obliged.
to ask. Does operating a well-established blog like yours take
Great, thanks for sharing this blog.Much thanks again. Great.
“Appreciate you sharing, great article post.Thanks Again.”
Mi scuso, ma, a mio parere, ? commettere un errore. Lo consiglio a discutere. Scrivere a me in PM.
Im no pro, but I imagine you just crafted the best point. You undoubtedly know what youre talking about, and I can really get behind that. Thanks for being so upfront and so truthful.
that is the end of this article. Here you?ll locate some websites that we assume you will appreciate, just click the hyperlinks over
I truly appreciate this blog article.Much thanks again. Much obliged.
“Thanks a lot for the blog.Thanks Again. Great.”
I appreciate you sharing this article.Thanks Again. Much obliged.
This blog is pretty cool. How was it made !?
A big thank you for your blog post.Much thanks again. Will read on…
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up plus the rest of the website is extremely good.
Say, you got a nice blog post.Really thank you! Cool.
Thanks so much for the post. Fantastic.
Hey, thanks for the article post.Thanks Again. Will read on…
This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger. I have joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your fantastic post. Also, I ave shared your site in my social networks!
Normally I do not learn article on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to try and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice article.
I truly appreciate this article.Really looking forward to read more. Really Cool.
I value the blog article.Really thank you! Really Great.
A big thank you for your blog. Want more.
Thank you for your blog.Much thanks again. Really Great.
Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic post.Really thank you! Will read on…
Enjoyed every bit of your blog article.Thanks Again. Want more.
“Thanks for your information on this blog. One thing I would want to say is that purchasing electronic products items in the Internet is not something new. Actually, in the past ten years alone, the marketplace for online electronic products has grown substantially. Today, you’ll find practically any kind of electronic system and gizmo on the Internet, including cameras and also camcorders to computer elements and video gaming consoles.”
A big thank you for your blog article. Keep writing.
Very good blog article.Much thanks again. Want more.
It’s remarkable in support of me to have a web page, which is useful
designed for my experience. thanks admin
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on หวย. Regards
Fantastic post.Really thank you! Will read on…
I read this article fully concerning the comparison of newest and previous technologies,
it’s awesome article.
Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in Firefox.
I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let
you know. The design and style look great though! Hope you
get the issue solved soon. Many thanks
What’s up, its fastidious article concerning media print, we
all understand media is a fantastic source of information.
You’ve made some decent points there. I checked on the internet
for additional information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website.
Hey very interesting blog!
I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
The sketch is attractive, your authored subject matter
stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an shakiness over that you wish
be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again since exactly the same nearly very
often inside case you shield this hike.
Peculiar article, just what I was looking for.
I am extremely impressed along with your writing skills and also with the structure in your weblog.
Is that this a paid subject or did you modify it your self?
Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare
to peer a nice weblog like this one these days..
Hello, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar
one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam remarks?
If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can recommend?
I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any support is very much appreciated.
Fastidious replies in return of this query with
solid arguments and describing the whole thing concerning that.
My spouse and I stumbled over here different website and thought I may as well check things out.
I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to going over
your web page repeatedly.
I’m very happy to find this site. I need to to thank you for your time for this wonderful read!!
I definitely savored every little bit of it and i also have you book marked to check out new information on your site.
Excellent blog you’ve got here
Loving the information on this website
Any way keep up writing.
I agree with most of your points, but a few need to be discussed further,
Definitely believe that which you said. Your favorite reason appeared to be on the net the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get irked while people think about worries that they plainly do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , people can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks
These are in fact enormous ideas in on the topic of blogging.
You have touched some nice factors here. Any way keep up wrinting.
of course like your website but you need to test the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I to find it very troublesome to inform the truth on the other hand I will surely come back again.
That is really attention-grabbing, You are a very professional blogger.
I have joined your feed and look ahead to looking for extra of your magnificent post.
Additionally, I have shared your website in my social networks
beach houses are really nice and it would always be a warm and relaxing place’
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
It’s going to be ending of mine day, however before ending I am reading this impressive paragraph toincrease my knowledge.
Heya i’m for the primary time here. I found this board and I find It really helpful &it helped me out much. I hope to provide something again andhelp others such as you aided me.
hi!,I love your writing so a lot! percentage we communicate extra approximately your post on AOL? I need an expert in this space to unravel my problem. May be that is you! Looking forward to look you.
I enjoy looking through a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing for me to comment!
A fascinating discussion is worth comment. I do think that you should write more on thistopic, it might not be a taboo matter but typically folks don’t speakabout such topics. To the next! best toaster online deals uk wishes!!
you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already.
An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. I think that you should publish more on this subject, it might not be a taboo matter but usually people do not speak about these topics. To the next! Best wishes!!
I believe you have observed some very interesting details, thanks for the post.Also visit my blog code – Terrence –
I get pleasure from, result in I discovered just what I was having a look for.You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless youman. Have a nice day. Bye
Greetings! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us beneficial information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!
I every time used to read paragraph in news papers but now as I am a user of net so from now
I am using net for posts, thanks to web.