Babacan’s DEVA party’s board of directors is one-third female

Duvar English

Former deputy prime minister Ali Babacan’s new Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) announced its Central Board of Presidency as composed of seven women out of 21, and its Board of Directors having 18 women out of 50.

Babacan officially established his long-awaited opposition party March 9.

Former Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin became secretary general and former Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergin became head of organizations. Ergin resigned from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) last year.

Independent lawmaker Mustafa Yeneroğlu, who resigned from the AKP in October 2019, became DEVA’s Law and Justice Director. 

Yeneroğlu had resigned over his dissatisfaction with the AKP’s policies in regards human rights violations and damages to democratic institutions.

Münevver Helün Fırat, daughter of former pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Dengir Mir Fırat, is DEVA’s Director of Culture and Art Policies.

Former AKP lawmaker Mehmet Emin Ekmen became Director of Local Government and Urbanization Policies and former AKP lawmaker İdris Şahin became Director of Elections. 

Former AKP deputy Medeni Yılmaz became Health Policies Director, and former consult to the president Elif Esen became Director of Social Policies. 

Former administrator at Turkey’s Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), İbrahim Halil Çanakcı, became DEVA’s Economics and Finance Policy Director. 

Former undersecretary to the Labor and Social Security Director, Birol Aydemir, became Industrial Policy Director. 

Academic Prof. Arzu Kılıçlar became Director of Women’s Policy, while lawyer Doğa Şanlıoğlu became Director of Youth Policies. 

Mechanical engineer and businessman Burak Dalgın became Director of Digital Transformation and Technology, while Zeynep Dereli, “founder of Turkey's first technology high school, Tink,” became Director of Education Policies.

Academic Yasemin Bilgel became Director of Nature Rights and Environmental Policies while human rights defender Nazlı Seda Vural became Director of Human Resources and Internal Party Education.

Former Ambassador to the United Kingdom Abdurrahman Bilgiç became Director of Foreign Affairs and Security Policies.