Turkey's ruling Justice And Development Party (AKP) has released a controversial new campaign ad less than two weeks before the March 3o general elections.
The ad has prompted both the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the National Movement Party (MHP) to file complaints and seek action banning the ad. Prime Minister Erdogan, in classic style, has threatened to ban the ban.
The commercial is technically illegal under Turkish campaign law as it features a representation of the Turkish flag.
The ad attempts to play up fears of foreign involvement in Turkey by showing a shadowy figure cutting the cables that support the Turkish flag. The flag's falling prompts Turks from across the country to rush and make a human flagpole in an attempt to stop it from hitting the ground.
Erdogan has viciously dismissed current allegations of deep seated corruption in his government as foreign conspiracies intended to shatter Turkey's strength. This ad is the latest in a string of speeches and programs intended to draw attention away from the AKP's culpability in such scandals.
Turkey has recently been rocked by massive protests against what many see as Erdogan's increasingly dictatorial stance. The latest string of riots was triggered by the death of a 15-year-old who was killed due to police brutality.
Erdogan has threatened to quite
We have included the original campaign ad below.