Burcu Köksal

Burcu Köksal
Mayor of Afyonkarahisar
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 April 2024
Preceded byMehmet Zeybek
Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader of the Republican People's Party
In office
3 June 2023 – 3 April 2024
LeaderKemal Kılıçdaroğlu
Özgür Özel
Preceded byEngin Altay
Succeeded byMurat Emir
Member of the Grand National Assembly
In office
7 June 2015 – 3 April 2024
ConstituencyAfyonkarahisar (June 2015, Nov 2015, 2018, 2023)
Personal details
Born (1980-01-18) January 18, 1980 (age 44)
Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
Political partyRepublican People's Party (2015–2018, 2018–present)
Other political
affiliations		Good Party (2018)
Spouse
Yasin Köksal
​
(m. 2015)​
Children1
Alma materIstanbul University
OccupationPolitician

Burcu Köksal (born 18 January 1980) is a Turkish politician from the Republican People's Party (CHP), who is currently the Mayor of Afyonkarahisar. She previously served as a Member of Parliament for Afyonkarahisar from 7 June 2015 until she was elected mayor in 2024.

Early life and career

Burcu Köksal was born on 18 January 1980 to a family of teachers in Afyonkarahisar. She completed her primary and secondary education in Afyonkarahisar and graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law. She has been a lawyer in Afyonkarahisar since 8 March 2004.[1]

He took part in Ataturkist Thought Association, Afyonkarahisar Branch of Association for the Support of Contemporary Life and Consumer Protection Association.[2]

Political career

Koksal served as President of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Afyonkarahisar Women's Branch in 2007. Köksal contested CHP preselection for the June 2015 general election, she beat incumbent CHP MP Ahmet Toptaş for the first place list position,[3] and was subsequently elected as the lone CHP Member of Parliament for Afyonkarahisar.[4] She was narrowly re-elected in the snap November 2015 elections.[5]

Köksal was one of 15 CHP deputies to join the Good Party on 21 April 2018 to make the party eligible to contest the 2018 election.[6] She retained first place on the CHP party list for Afyonkarahisar in the 2018 Elections and was re-elected.[7]

She was a member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Presidency Council for the first half of the 27th Parliament of Turkey[citation needed]

Köksal was renominated for the first place list position for Afyonkarahisar for the 2023 elections, she was re-elected.[8][9] She was then named a CHP deputy leader for the 28th Turkish Parliament.[10]

Köksal was selected as the CHP Mayoral candidate for Afyonkarahisar for the 2024 local elections.[11] During the campaign, she attracted controversy for saying the doors of Afyonkarahar would be open to everyone except members of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu called on her to resign her candidacy or join a different party. As a result of her remarks, the CHP sent and required all their mayoral candidates to sign a non-discrimination pledge.[12][13]

Köksal was elected Mayor of Afyonkarahisar with 50.73% of the vote and became the first woman mayor of the city. She was sworn in on 3 April 2024 and her resignation from Parliament took effect on the same day.[14][15]

Personal Life

On June 26, 2015, she married television programmer Yasin Köksal. Burcu Köksal has a son from her previous marriage.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Biyografi". Haberler.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  2. ^ Durak, Arif Enes (4 June 2023). "Burcu Köksal CHP'nin Grup Başkan Vekili oldu". Ege Saati (in Turkish). Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Afyonkarahisar'da İlk Sırada Burcu Kayıkçı Yer Aldı". 29 March 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Seçim sonuçları". Haberler.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Afyonkarahisar Kasım 2015 Genel Seçimi Sonuçları". Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  6. ^ "15 CHP MPS quit and join Good Party to secure its participation in snap election - Turkey News". 22 April 2018.
  7. ^ "İsmai̇l Akar - Tamam Mi Devam Mi ?". Archived from the original on 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  8. ^ "2023 Afyon CHP Milletvekili adayları". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Afyonkarahisar Seçim Sonuçları - 14 Mayıs 2023 Genel Seçim". Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  10. ^ "BURCU KÖKSAL CHP'NİN GRUP BAŞKAN VEKİLİ OLDU". Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  11. ^ "KULİSLER KAYNIYOR BURCU KÖKSAL KESİN ADAY". Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Criticism grows for CHP mayoral candidate from within party over discriminatory remark against pro-Kurdish DEM". Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  13. ^ "CHP issues anti-discrimination pledge after Köksal's remarks". 11 March 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Record number of female mayors marks historic election victory for Turkish opposition". 2 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Burcu Köksal mazbatasını aldı". 4 March 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  16. ^ "CHP'li vekilin mutlu günü". Sözcü (in Turkish). 26 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.