Turkey: Women's 77-year struggle for political equality drags on

In fact, activists and female politicians agree the republic's history of women's political rights resembles the volatile track of a rollercoaster -- climbing and falling at various unexpected speeds and at times even coming to a full stop. Zeynep Dağı, a Justice and Development (AK Party) deputy for Ankara, told Sunday's Zaman, “It is not easy to define the status of women's rights in Turkey.”

Women's rights activist Pınar İlkkaracan says “no strides have been made” regarding women's political representation. Vedat Ahsen Coşar, president of the Turkish Bar Association (TBB), echoed İlkkaracan in saying “Turkey is not in a good position regarding women's rights.”