Unlikely woman new heroine of Turkish opposition

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Istanbul chief criticized the Supreme Electoral Council’s (YSK) decision to annul the results of the local elections in Istanbul saying that official bodies should not override the people’s choice in elections.

The most contested election of the last decade in Turkey has been for the position of Istanbul’s mayor. And, after 36 days of complaints from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), on May 6, the first day of Ramadan, the YSK announced a rerun of the mayoral election. However, opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu’s now annulled victory and his strong stand after the election won the hearts and minds of not just Istanbulites but of most Turks. Along with Imamoglu, there is someone else who deserves credit: Canan Kaftancioglu. Kaftancioglu is the provincial chair of the CHP for Istanbul.

Kaftancioglu is a medical doctor, mother, motorcycle lover and feisty politician who ran a campaign against the AKP’s 25-year rule in Istanbul. She has faced many challenges, including the generic “terrorist propaganda” investigations that almost all opposition figures have to endure. Yet Kaftancioglu did not stop tweeting or speaking her mind, angering President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other AKP officials.

At a time when most observers dismissed opposition parties as ineffective, Kaftancioglu and her team have proven that despite all odds a victory at the ballot box is possible. She is known as hardworking, tenacious and determined. Her management skills resonate with the least expected at both the top levels of the organization as well as the grassroots. Kaftancioglu has gained the admiration of most skeptical pundits. In an era where women’s participation and voice in Turkish politics is dwindling, she has been a hope for millions.