We Want to be Represented

The best part of democracies is that people are represented in the administration. By being represented or being represented, we can solve our problems, have a say in our future and voice our opinions about the changes to be made in the environment we live in. With these, we can influence not only verbal interventions and objections but also actions. This is of course very meaningful for a human being.

What about the situation in Turkey?

Being represented in Turkish democracy is not an easy task. First of all, there are obstacles to overcome. Although the types of these obstacles have changed, the barriers they pose to representation have not changed much. Let’s take a look at these obstacles together. The first one is age. The age barrier has lasted for many years in a rather absurd way. An 18-year-old has been eligible to vote in elections since 1995, before that the age was even higher.

The age barrier was not lowered regularly. Sometimes it was lowered, sometimes it was raised. As a result, the voting age was lowered to 18 in 1995. Anyway, let us return to our topic. An 18-year-old has had the right to vote since the 1995 elections, but the situation was different when a young person wanted to be elected as well as voting. From 1995 until 2017, they did not have the right to be elected. Then this situation was regulated and since 2017, an 18-year-old can enter the parliament! I would love to say “Hurray!” but unfortunately it is not that simple. There are still obstacles to our representation. Even if the age barrier is lifted, we cannot participate in the decision-making processes that will affect our lives by entering politics.

Why?

The reason is actually very simple. We don’t have what it takes to enter the system. For an 18-year-old to enter parliament after 2017, they must have both economic and social power. If you ask what this means now, I can express it as the two most basic points of the obstacles that prevent young people from being elected in elections. Let me explain this situation briefly.

Representation in the national parliament in Turkey is a very difficult task. When a young person wants to take part in a national representation, they can become a candidate for parliament. However, even if they cover the fee they have to pay for their candidacy and the money they have to spend on campaigning, it is not enough for them to become a candidate. A general chairman has to put you on the list during the elections so that you can become a candidate. Of course, some parties run primary elections, but this is not common. As young people, we need to continue to struggle in the process with enough social capital.

Are there those who somehow skip all these processes? Of course there are. In the 2018 general elections, exactly 8 people passed these processes and entered the parliament! Congratulations. We are represented with 8 seats in the 600-seat parliament. If we look at the ratio of young people to Turkey’s population, it is not difficult to understand that they are the least represented segment. In Turkey, the 18-29 age range corresponds to 18.6% of the population, but the representation rate in parliament is 1.33%.

In addition, due to the problems in the representation mechanism, it is not possible to say that every young MP has made a positive contribution to youth representation. It is not easy to enter parliament as a result of such a system. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that privileged young people who have somehow overcome the system, rather than young people who represent the general public, enter parliament.

On top of all this, it seems quite funny to expect that the problems of young people are understood, their needs are known and solutions are expected to address them. Being represented and being able to represent are our most fundamental rights. We want to access these rights. We do not want people to understand us or discuss us over and over again. We want to have a say in our future and we want to be at the decision tables.