Patriarchical structure of Turkish politics keeps women out

Written by Tuncay Kayaoğlu

March, 05, 2014.

Nurten Ertugrul had spent days and nights to convince voters for the ruling AK Party’s mayor candidate in Bingol, a city in Eastern Turkey. Those rough days paid off: AK Party’s candidate Yucel Barakazi reelected as mayor with 58 percent of votes and Ertugrul received a seat for the city council. Her hope to be Barakazi’s deputy was dashed, allegedly, on the grounds that Islam and Turkish customs do not allow women to perform such leadership roles. 

She offers a different interpretation: “Male politicians do not want to see successful and critical women around them.” Her story more or less illustrates one of the obstacles before more women participation in politics: Patriarchical structure of Turkish politics.

This structure is powerful informal impediment for female politicians. On the paper everything seems to assure gender equality in politics. There is no legal obstacle before women participation into politics. 

Even the constitution says in 10^th article that women and men have same rights. If questioned further, a male politician would tell that Turkey is one of pioneering countries that legalized rights for women to elect and to be elected in the 1930s, much earlier than countries such as Belgium which granted the same right in 1948.

Behind the lofty rhetoric and laws guaranteeing gender equality, Turkey’s record for women participation remains poor. As Ertugrul points out, “Almost every political party wants women to support and canvass votes for them. But after that, they want us to go home and sit.” 

The last election echoed her words. Twelve cities elected female mayors. Six of them will co-chair mayoralty with their male counterparts. Besides, three of these twelve cities with female mayors are metropolitan municipalities with more recognizable stature among other cities. Even Turkey’s biggest city, Istanbul, has one female mayor out of 40 total mayors.

Sare Aydin, chairwoman of Istanbul-based Woman and Democracy Association (KADEM), accepts such dichotomy. “On the paper our political system is no different from European countries. With multiple parties are competing, Turkey looks like a democratic country. But what differs is the male-dominant political structure,” she told Anadolu Agency.

While the picture is gloomy, reasons for hope exist. Turkish people seem ready to support woman politicians, a recent survey showed. About 4 out of 5 supported greater role for women in politics, 2 out 5 said political parties do not do enough to support woman politicians, and about half supported a positive discrimination for woman politicians.

Yet public opinion may not produce immediate results. Given male-centered political culture is that dominant, how can women gain its role in Turkey’s political system? “Actually, political parties can solve that problem if they want to,” replied Bekir Agirdir, a political expert and owner of the well-respected KONDA research company, adding, “political parties are not that mature enough.”

Zafer Berkol, chairman of Istanbul-based Association of the Support and Training of Women Candidates (KA.DER), conceded that political parties are not very willingly for female politicians. “We know how political parties work and how and when we know they nominate woman candidates.” 

She accused senior party officials of placing woman candidates in unelectable districts for window dressing and avoiding a male-only nomination lists. Agirdir stated that women and youth branches of parties are actually “window-dressing,” saying that, “Their very existence signal that they have to do politics in line with central executive body, not leading their own way.”

Experts also add that Kurdish minority Peace and Democracy Party’s decision to nominate a man and woman politician (co-chair system) in local elections proves that political parties have the real leverage. By that step, eight cities that Kurdish party won in local elections will be governed by such system. According to that system, a mayor and mayoral co-partner will equally share burden.

Sociologist Elvan Aydemir, an expert on woman and politics, does not believe that leading parties, including the ruling AK Party and main opposition party, Republican People’s Party, treat female candidates and politicians merely as window-dressing. “But I think that woman politicians already accepts and adapts themselves to that male-dominant system.” (Members of those political parties did not return request for comment despite repeated calls by AA)

Experts stress that the obstacles before women’s participation into political system are similar to the problems that prevent females’ participation in public service. “Beginning from the constitution to positive discrimination to women, a lot of steps should be taken to have more participation of female into politics,” Agirdir noted.

Until that time, women should be vocal for their rights. As Ertugrul stated, “After my reaction, Mayor Barakazi selected his deputy among women candidates. If I did not raise my voice, that step could not be taken.”