CHP hails 'most inclusive' candidates list for polls

ANKARA

550 candidates of the social democrat party represent the most inclusive list of candidacy for the upcoming parliamentary elections in comparison with other important political parties, a party official has said, informing that 20 percent of candidates are female with many of them having the chance to be elected. 

“An overall assessment on our list would clearly show that it’s the most democratic, inclusive and embracing one in comparison with other parties,” Haluk Koç, spokesperson of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) told reporters hours before the deadline for parties to submit their candidacy lists to the Supreme Election Board (YSK). “Our list was crafted in a way to represent the country’s all different regions as well as different faith groups.”

Having selected around 85 percent of its parliamentary nominees through primaries, the CHP’s Party Assembly discussed the rest of candidates in a hours long meeting late April 6 under Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. 

Koç informed that 103 female out of 550 will run for the elections, underlining that many of them were having good chances to be elected. First places in 14 constituencies including İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir have been reserved for female candidates, Koç informed.  Şafak Pavey will run from İstanbul, Selin Sayek Böke, an economist who recently joined the CHP will run from İzmir. 

Journalists in the list

CHP is also making a first by introducing a candidate from Turkey’s Armenian community with nominating Selina Doğan Özuzun as the party’s İstanbul Deputy. 

The CHP’s list left 82 current lawmakers out of the elections including Umut Oran, deputy leader who was also serving as the vice president of the Socialist International. Güldal Mumcu, Yakup Akkaya, deputy CHP leaders as well as Hüseyin Aygün, Tunceli Deputy and Sinan Aygün, an Ankara Deputy are among names who were not put in the list. 

Among new names that will run for Parliament from the CHP are former lawmaker İlhan Kesici known with his central-right background, former diplomat Murat Özçelik, former editor-in-chiefs of Hürriyet and Cumhuriyet, respectively Enis Berberoğlu and Utku Çakırözer, former minister Zekeriya Temizel, Mehmet Bekraoğlu and journalist Tuncay Özkan. 

The list does also include a representative of the Turkey’s Roma community, Özcan Purçu who will run from İzmir to Parliament. Purçu is the Turkey’s Representative for the European Roma and Nomads Forum. 

The party’s heavyweight’s deputy leaders Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Sencer Ayata, Bihlun Tamaylıgil and Erdoğan Toprak will continue to be in the Parliament.