Turkey’s First Transsexual Member of Parliament?

On the road to EU accession, Turkey is making great strides toward Europeanization. The country’s first transsexual deputy might appear in the country’s parliament.

Head of the Rainbow Solidarity and Cultural Association for Transgenders, Gays and Lesbians (Gökkuşağı) Öykü Özen filed the necessary papers to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections and to run on the Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, or CHP) slate.

Özen, reports Vesti.az citing Turkish media, said she’s the first out candidate and intends to make it in the country’s history based on this fact.

Turkish media, however, report the country might not be ready for such change and it’s unlikely the CHP will allow her to take part in elections on their slate.

Others believe that CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu could accept Özen’s proposal if it weren’t for one thing: the Rainbow Association is based in Bursa and the party leader simply can’t risk the votes in this part of Turkey, which is known for its conservatism.