ISTANBUL — A nondescript apartment in Istanbul’s business district is the nerve center of a drive to propel more women into Turkish politics.
But as some 61 million voters in Turkey prepare to cast their ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections, the mood at the office of Ben Secerim, or I Choose, is one of disappointment.
The NGO was established two years ago to boost female participation in politics, specifically to find suitable candidates to stand for parliament.
Last month, Ben Secerim selected 20 parliamentary candidates who will join the lists of a number of opposition parties – the CHP, the Iyi Party, the Deva Party and the Gelecek Party. However, due to the nature of the election process — votes for parties are allocated to candidates according to their placement on ranked party lists — just four stand any real hope of entering the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
