The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey has named an Armenian candidate in the first place on their final candidate list for the upcoming elections on June 7 in a move to prioritize candidates with different backgrounds. The move took some political observers by surprise
Hurrityet Daily News reported that the candidate is lawyer Selina Ozuzun Dogan. She has been named by the CHP in the first place for Istanbul's second region in the June 7 elections.
Born in 1977, Ozuzun is a graduate of Notre Dame De Sion French High School and studied law at Galatasaray University. She also has a master's degree from Istanbul's Bilgi University. She speaks Armenian, French and English.
CHP head Kemal Kılıçdaroglu had previously declared he would reserve the first places of important cities like Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir for female candidates.
All political parties submitted their candidate lists to the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on April 7, ahead of the June elections.
At a meeting with representatives of minority groups last week Kılıçdaroglu welcomed a request by the minority groups to have a representative at the Parliament from the ranks of the CHP and proposed them to introduce their common nominee. The name of Uzuzun, who has long been serving as the lawyer of the minority foundations, has been introduced to the CHP after in-house consultations of the minority groups.
source: commonspace.eu with Hurriyet Daily News.
Photo: Armenian Lawyer Selina Ozuzun Dogan
