Association for the Support and Training of Women Candidates (KADER) launched a campaign to entice political party leaders to nominate more women as candidates in the 2014 local elections.

“We are appealing to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli; don’t forget women candidates”, said the women organization.

At present only 26 of 2,950 mayors, 110 of 3,979 provincial council members and 1,340 of 31,790 municipal council members are women.

KADER addressed its call especially to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the CHP and the MHP.

Indeed Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and newly formed People’s Democratic Party (HDP) were praised by KADER for their gender equality policies as part of their party programs and internal regulations.

The campaign includes placards saying “Don’t forget women candidates” on posters of Erdoğan, Kılıçdaroğlu and Bahçeli.