"TURKEY: KURDISH POLITICAL PARTY SEEKS TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN MARCH LOCAL ELECTIONS
Yigal Schleifer 1/14/09
With a stylish headscarf wrapped tightly around her face, Muslise Akgul may not fit the typical profile of a leader in the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). With its Marxist roots, the DTP has long been viewed as a deeply secular party.
But Akgul, who heads the DTP’s office in the southeastern Turkish city of Batman, says she feels very comfortable in the party. 'When I go out and talk to people . . . I tell them that there’s a home for religious people in our party,' says Akgul, who adds that most of the women in her city’s party branch wear a headscarf."
More:EurasiaNet Civil Society - Turkey: Kurdish Political Party Seeks to Be More Competitive in March Local Elections
