Source: Yıldız Tar, “İnşallah LGBTİ belediye başkanımız olacak,” (“We hope to have an LGBTI mayor,”) Etkin Haber Ajansı, 12 October 2013, http://www.etha.com.tr/Haber/2013/10/12/guncel/insallah-lgbti-belediye-baskanimiz-olacak/
The Democratic Party of the People (HDP) Beyoğlu Co-President and LGBTI activist Levent Pişkin states that they will educate all of their candidates about LGBTI politics for the local elections.
Pişkin emphasizes that they will develop an understanding of LGBTI friendly municipalities. He says, “We hope we will have an LGBT mayor” in response to remarks by Ankara mayor Melih Gökçek who said, “I hope we will not have a homosexual mayor.”
With the forthcoming local elections the Democratic Congress of the People (HDK) and the Democratic Party of the People (HDP) started to work on an LGBTI commission.The HDK/HDP called out to LGBTIs to organize in a joint meeting with LGBTI organizations and activists.
Levent Pişkin, the Co-President of HDP Beyoğlu and LGBTI activist, talked to ETHA about the issue and stated that they activated the commission in order to effectively create LGBTI policies.