MINORITY CANDIDATES GET DISAPPOINTING RESULTS

Hurriyet
March 31 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – Although the small municipality of the islands off Istanbul
had a higher proportion of candidates running that represented
minorities, the candidates were just as unsuccessful here as other
minority candidates in most of the country.

Mayoral candidate Dr. Karabey Yayla of the Democratic Left Party, or
DSP, who was the first Armenian candidate in the Republic’s history to
run for mayor of the Municipality of Islands, lost by a significant
amount of votes. The island municipality’s Jewish mayoral candidate,
Yusuf Bahar of the Democratic Party, or DP, also faced heavy defeat.

Both candidates were contesting the position of mayor, as the islands
are made up of the various minorities in Turkey, such as Armenians
and Jews.