CHP issues anti-discrimination pledge after Köksal's remarks

ANKARA

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has sent an anti-discrimination pledge requesting signatures to all its mayoral hopefuls following controversial remarks by a candidate.

The move comes after Burcu Köksal, the CHP's mayoral candidate for the western province of Afyonkarahisar, sparked criticism by stating that "the doors of the municipality would be open to everyone except the [Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party] DEM Party."

CHP leader Özgür Özel dismissed the comment as a "slip of the tongue," but Köksal later defended her stance. The strongest internal criticism came from Ekrem İmamoğlu, the CHP's mayor of Istanbul, who publicly called on Köksal to "either find another job or another party."

The pro-Kurdish DEM Party, which refrained from running candidates in many regions during the 2019 elections, played a crucial role in supporting the CHP's victories. However, this time, it has fielded candidates in key battlegrounds, including Istanbul and Ankara.

The "letter of commitment to populist municipalism" commits CHP candidates to treat all citizens equally "regardless of differences such as gender, ethnic origin, religious belief, political opinion and social class." It further promises fair distribution of municipal resources.

Additionally, CHP candidates will agree to yearly public disclosure of their personal assets and the municipality's financial statements.

They will also endorse a separate nine-point policy document on "equality in local governments," which includes a requirement for gender parity in municipal employment, aiming for a 50 percent female quota.