16 MPs Declaring Commitment to LGBTI Rights in Parliament
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16 MP candidates, who have signed the LGBTI+ Rights Contract prepared by the Genç LGBTİ+ (Young LGBTI+) Association, have become MPs at the 27th Term Parliament of Turkey.
50 MP candidates nominated by the Republican People's Party (CHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) signed the LBGTI+ Rights Contract.
Barış Azar from the Young LGBTI+ Association has stated that they will continue working with the 16 MPs as well as the other politicians who have signed the contract:
"It was a successful period for us. Though the contract has been signed by only 50 MP candidates, I still think that this period when politicians shy away from the LGBTI+ individuals by thinking of their votes will give way to a time when they will shy away from hating, othering and discriminating them.
"According to the preliminary election results, 16 of the MP candidates, who have signed the contract, have entered the parliament. We will continue working with these 16 MPs as well as the other 34 MP candidates who are not elected as MPs. We will continue to work to make the demands of the LGBTI+ individuals, especially those of the young LGBTI+s, visible and watch the candidates who have signed the contract. Hoping to see that the LGBTI+ individuals can exist at the parliament with their open identities..."
16 MPs declaring their commitment to LGBTI rights
The 16 MPs who have signed the LGBTI+ Rights Contract are as follows:
HDP İzmir: Serpil Kemalbay, Murat Çepni
CHP İzmir: Tuncay Özkan, Selin Sayek Böke, Kani Beko, Tacettin Bayer, Özcan Purçu
HDP İstanbul: Ahmet Şık, Erkan Baş, Pervin Buldan, Oya Ersoy, Züleyha Gülüm
CHP İstanbul: Sezgin Tanrıkulu
HDP Ankara: Filiz Kerestecioğlu
HDP Adana: Tülay Hatimoğulları, Kemal Peköz
22 MPs signed the contract in 2015 elections
The LGBTI Rights Contract prepared by the Association for Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation (SPoD LGBTİ) as part of the LGBTI in Parliament campaign was signed by 61 MP candidates of the HDP and CHP before the General Election on June 7, 2015.
21 of these MP candidates entered the parliament in 2015 and another MP also signed the contract after entering the parliament. (ÇT/SD)