A Turkish candidate has been selected by the Liberal Democrats to contest the Tottenham constituency against Labour’s David Lammy at the next election.
Turhan Özen (left) with Councillor Richard Wilson, the leader of Haringey’s Liberal Democrats
Turhan Özen, a doctor of engineering who works as a software engineer, will be the party’s candidate in one of the safest Labour seats in the country.
Dr Özen, who originally hails from Elazığ in eastern Turkey, has been active with the Liberal Democrats since he moved to the UK in 1997. He co-founded the Lib Dem Friends of Turkey group and was a councillor candidate in Islington in 2010.
He is also a candidate for May’s European elections in London.
Dr Ozen said: “I am honoured to have been chosen as the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Tottenham and will be working hard for the people of Tottenham, who are struggling with the increasing cost of living and unemployment.
“I will fight to make sure that ordinary residents are heard in the plans to regenerate Tottenham to make sure that this transformation benefits them and does not move ahead disregarding their concerns and objections.”
He continued: “I am also delighted to join the Haringey Liberal Democrat team, who have worked hard for many years to help residents and hold the local Labour council to account.
“I have already spent a lot of time to talking to the local community in Harringay and on Green Lanes.”
Councillor Richard Wilson, the leader of the Haringey Liberal Democrats, added: “Turhan Ozen is a great candidate for Tottenham and has already been out campaigning in Tottenham and helping residents with problems.”
Tottenham is one of Labour’s strongholds: the party has held the seat since 1950 and has held it with more than 50 percent of the vote at every election since 1987.