Minority MPs preserve seats in Nov 1 election

ISTANBUL

Selina Doğan Özuzun (R), an Armenian candidate for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), chats with a CHP supporter during an election rally for Turkey's June 7 parliamentary election, in Istanbul, Turkey, June 2, 2015. REUTERS Photo

Deputies from Armenian, Syriac, Yazidi, Mhallami and Roma origins, who secured seats in the June 7 election, have all preserved their seats in the Nov. 1 election, weekly Agos has reported.

Three Turkish-Armenian deputies, Garo Paylan from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Selina Doğan from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Markar Esayan from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), were all re-elected in the Nov. 1 polls.

Özcan Purçu, who was the first deputy from Roma origin to have had seat in parliament in Turkish history, was re-elected in the Nov. 1 election from the CHP. 

Mehmet Ali Aslan of Mhallami origin, who was elected from the HDP in the June 7 election, was re-elected in the Nov. 1 election in the eastern province of Batman. There are around 800,000 Mhallamis living in Turkey.

Feleknas Uca, who is of Yazidi origin, was re-elected in the Nov. 1 election from the HDP, but fellow Yazidi Ali Atalan withdrew from the race in Batman after being placed far down the candidate list.

Syriac lawyer Erol Dora was also elected in the election from the HDP to a third term in parliament.

Kıznaz Türkeli, of Azeri origin, who was elected from Iğdır on June 7, failed to return to parliament after the AKP increased its votes in the eastern province.