Labour Party’s candidate for North Enfield in the upcoming general elections in 2015 Joan Ryan, started her campaign early.
Members of the Labour Party and representatives of the communities in the area attended the dinner organized in support of Joan Ryan’s candidacy. Previous Minister of Foreign Affairs Jack Straw also attended the event, showing solidarity with Ryan’s campaign.
Not only Turkish, Kurdish and Cypriot Turkish community, but many other ethnic communities of the area were present at the event. Joan Ryan has not only been an MP for North Enfield for three consecutive terms between 1997 and 2010, but also has a solid relationship with the Turkish speaking community of North Enfield.
Director of the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations Aysin Yılmaz, Head of the Turkish Football League and candidate for council member Turgut Esendağlı, Head of the Cemevi İsrafil Erbil and Director of the Centre for Turkey Studies Ibrahim Dogus were amongst those attending the dinner.
Moreover, Leader of Council for the Borough of Enfield Doug Taylor, member of the London Assembly Joanne McCartney, and other council members Ahmet Öykener, Alev Cazımoglu, Chris Bon, Ali Bakir and Ahmet Karaaslan also attended Joan Ryan’s event.
Enfield councillor Ahmet Oykener, Hasan Gazi, Serdar Sarı, Ahmet Karahasan
Addressing her guests, Ryan stressed the party’s strategy to knock on every door and re-claim the borough. Emphasizing the importance of cross-community interaction and the peaceful co-existence of the diverse ethnicities present in the area – as represented by the guests of the dinner – Ryan, expressed her hope for Labour Party’s success in North Enfield. After thanking all members for their support in the preliminary elections, Ryan clarified that their main focus now was winning in the general elections.
Also speaking at the event, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Jack Straw showed his confidence in Joan Ryan’s victory in the general elections o 2015. He also stated he was proud to see such a multi – cultural setting, which was reflective of the Labour Party’s orientations.
In the 2010 elections, Joan Ryan had lost the MP status for North Enfield to Nick de Bois of the Conservative Party. Turks and Kurds play a critical role in the upcoming elections.
