Suna Akartuna (left) met CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (second from right) in Ankara last week
First meeting in Ankara after formal inauguration of party’s UK branch
The leader of the Turkish main opposition party’s UK branch was in Ankara last week for the first time since her election.
Suna Akartuna, who was elected to her role as head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Britain last month, said she had a fruitful meeting with CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in Ankara and had found the opportunity to convey the issues experienced by Turkish expatriates in Europe to the CHP leader directly.
She told Mr Kılıçdaroğlu that Turkish expatriates should be able to elect representatives to the Turkish parliament directly. The CHP leader reportedly said in response that there had been heavy interest in the party’s candidate slots in this election and that he would certainly consider the issue for the future.
Ms Akartuna added that her urging for a greater number of women MPs in parliament as warmly received and that party headquarters had some significant projects in this regard.
She also met Tekin Bingöl, the CHP’s deputy leader for overseas bodies, who gave her information about an overseas campaign stop that will take place in Germany on 25 April with Mr Kılıçdaroğlu in personal attendance. A British delegation would be sent to Germany for the event, she said.
İlhan Cihaner, who was nominated in a favourable party list position in Istanbul last week, has reportedly made promises to visit London on a campaign stop in the next few weeks.
Ms Akartuna fielded her candidacy for the CHP-UK leadership after the result of a previous leadership election in February was annulled. After defeating her only rival, Hasan Dikme, by 129 votes to 94, she said that there should be no questions remaining over the legitimacy of the new party branch.