Sunday’s parliamentary elections, held simultaneously with presidential vote, brought an unprecedented victory to women in the history of Republic of Türkiye.
The new term of Parliament will be highest in terms of women’s representation in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), at more than 20%, compared to 17.1%. Women also make up the bulk of the youngest lawmakers in the new Parliament.
Some 121 women will serve in the new term of Parliament, according to unofficial results. A total of 479 lawmakers are male in the 600-seat Parliament.
The Green Left Party (YSP) has the highest number of female lawmakers compared to their total number in Parliament. However, it is the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) that has the highest number of female lawmakers in the legislative body at 50. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the YSP have 30 female lawmakers each, while the Good Party (IP), ruled by Meral Akşener, the only chairwoman of a major political party in Türkiye, will have six female lawmakers. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has four lawmakers while the Turkish Labor Party has one female lawmaker.
The AK Party boasts an increase in its female lawmakers, up from 17.9% to 18.7%, while its main rival CHP increased this rate to 17% from 12.2%.
Nevertheless, women were absent from 31 provinces in the parliamentary polls. From Adıyaman in the east to Ordu in the north and Çanakkale in the west, those provinces failed to elect a female lawmaker to Parliament.
