CHP to nominate Pavey for deputy parliament speaker’s office

ANKARA

DHA photo

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) has decided to nominate its Istanbul deputy Şafak Pavey, the first disabled female member elected to Turkish Parliament, as their candidate for the office of deputy parliament speaker.

The CHP made its decision at a parliamentary group meeting held on July 3 with its newly elected deputies of the Turkey’s 25th term of parliament.

Earlier, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) named its Trabzon deputy Koray Aydın, a former minister, as their candidate for the same post. Meanwhile, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which has the highest percentage of women deputies compared to the total number of seats the four parties in parliament hold, picked its Van deputy Yurdusev Özsökmenler, one of its 32 women deputies, as their candidate.

Next week, the national assembly will establish its bureau, which consists of 15 deputies: the speaker, four vice-speakers, seven secretaries, and three quaestors. All four political parties will be represented in the bureau according to the proportionate number of seats they hold in the legislature. Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate İsmet Yılmaz was elected as parliament speaker earlier this week.

In 2012, Pavey was awarded a Woman of Courage Award by the White House for her efforts to raise awareness for the plight those with disabilities face in countries where resources are limited.

During the 24th term of parliament, three women deputies, AKP’s Ayşe Nur Bahçekapılı, CHP’s Güldal Mumcu and MHP’s Meral Akşener, served as deputy parliament speakers.

During the 23rd term of parliament, two women deputies, Mumcu of the CHP and Akşener of the MHP, held the same post.