ANKARA
The three-way campaign for Turkey's first direct presidential election will officially start on Friday.
Current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 60, is the ruling Justice and Development Party candidate.
The joint candidate from two opposition parties – the Republican People’s Party and the Nationalist Movement Party – is 71-year-old former head of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.
Selahattin Demirtas, 41, is the left-wing opposition Peoples' Democracy Party nominee.
The first round of the election is scheduled for August 10 and the public campaign will continue until August 9. Should none of the candidates take more than 50 per cent of the vote, a second round will take place on August 24; the campaign would be extended to between August 11 and 23.
The position of the candidates' name and photograph on the ballot paper will be determined by the Supreme Election Board via casting lots.
Another casting lot will be made on July 24 to determine the order of candidates’ electoral broadcasts on radio and TV channels. From August 3, the candidates will be able to start their electoral speeches on radio and TV.
Turkish citizens living abroad will be able to participate in the elections for the first time.
Candidates will be able to conduct their campaign in the Turkish press and on their websites; any poll predicting in the last 10 days by the candidates is not allowed.
Materials such as banners, flyers or brochures containing any religious content or the Turkish flag are banned. Other than electoral materials, neither parties nor candidates will be able to distribute any gifts.
Candidates will be able to receive up to 9,000 Turkish liras -- nearly US$4,000 – from each donor for their electoral campaign, the Election Board also announced.
Only Turkish citizens will be able to donate, while foreigners, international institutions and corporations are barred from financial contributions.
Candidates will only be able to use financial aid and the money should be lodged into a bank account titled 'elections account' and reported to the board in advance.
Monies received as aid can only be spent for electoral purposes.
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