18-year-old becomes Turkey’s youngest ever MP candidate

ANKARA

Elif Nur Bayram, an 18-year-old senior high school student, has become Turkey’s youngest ever parliamentary nominee, putting forward her candidacy to become an MP for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). 

“I will be very happy to become Turkey’s youngest ever deputy. I am very proud to go through such an experience at such an age,” Bayram said.

She will enter the election in 11th place in the AKP’s candidate list in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, which is represented by a total of 13 deputies at parliament.

Political parties yesterday submitted their list of candidates in each electoral district for Turkey’s snap elections on June 24. Candidates will be appointed to parliament based on where they rank on the list and on their party’s percentage of the total vote.

Some 57 MP candidates are under the age of 25, after Turkey’s parliament last year adopted an article lowering the minimum age to become an MP from 25 to 18.

“It is very good to be living in a country where youths are trusted. Hopefully I will be able to conduct works that are useful for my nation. I have wanted to be an MP since I was a kid,” said Bayram, a senior at the Kocaeli Science High School, adding that her parents have always supported her.

“We thank our President [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]. He always emphasizes the importance of youths and lowered the minimum age of candidacy to 18. We are happy … Hopefully youths will serve the good of this country,” said Bayram’s father, Adnan Bayram.