Women face political barriers ahead of Turkey elections

Nearly three-quarters of respondents to a poll say they would support a woman in their family entering politics, but only 17.4 percent of the deputies elected to the Turkish parliament in 2018 were women [File: Dilara Senkaya/Reuters]

Istanbul, Turkey – A nondescript apartment in Istanbul’s business district is the nerve centre of a drive to propel more women into Turkish politics.

But with some 60 million voters due to cast their ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday, the mood at the office of Ben Secerim, or I Choose, is one of disappointment.