Four years ago, 39 candidates from the British Turkish community were elected as councillors. That number has grown by three this year, setting a new record of 42 councillors following the confirmed results of the 2022 Local Elections on 5 May.
There has been a steady increase in the number of people from the Turkish speaking communities standing and being elected, with records being broken in three successive local elections.
In 2014, there were 30 councillors whose roots hail from Turkiye or North Cyprus. Eight years on and that figure has leapt by 40%.
The North London Borough of Enfield again saw both the highest number of Turkish, Turkish Kurdish, and Turkish Cypriot heritage candidates and councillors elected.
A total of 31 candidates stood in Enfield – two more than in 2018 – with 19 elected this time around: two less than the 2018 tally.
The 19, all from the Labour Party, represent just under a third of the 63 seats on the council, reflecting the large influence the community has on the political make-up of the borough, which has the highest concentration of Turks in the country.
The bulk of the community’s 42 councillors elected in 2022 are from the Labour Party. The 34 represent 80% of the total. The remaining 8 are Conservatives, two more than they had in 2018, showing the growing appeal of the party to British Turks.
Despite a number of community candidates standing as independent, or for the Liberal Democrats and other smaller parties, including the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, none were elected in 2022.
The British Turkish candidate polling the highest individual vote was Mete Çoban, who was returned as councillor for Stoke Newington ward in Hackney with 2,350 votes.
Cllr Nesil Caliskan gives victory speech after leading Labour to victory in Enfield
I’m delighted that @enfield_labour has won @EnfieldCouncil. Brilliant result!
Residents have voted for an administration that’s ambitious for our borough, and will invest in and protect important services that residents care about. We’ll work hard for everyone in #Enfield. pic.twitter.com/sc7FnsHjg7
— Nesil Caliskan (@Nesil_Caliskan) May 6, 2022
Results in London
Bexley Council: 2 Councillors
*Cafer Münür – Conservative Party (Blackfen and Lamorbey): 1,924
*Ahmet Durmuş (Andy Dourmoush) – Conservative Party (Longlands): 1,347
Camden Council: 1 Councillor
*Meriç Apak – Labour Party (Kentish Town South): 1,664
Ealing Council: 1 Councillor
*İlayda Nijhar – Labour Party (Pitshanger): 2,017
Enfield Council: 19 Councillors
*Ahmet Öykener – Labour Party (Bowes): 1,082
*Hivran Dalkaya – Labour Party (Brimsdown): 1,988
*Ahmet Hasan – Labour Party (Brimsdown): 1,879
*Bektaş Özer – Labour Party (Brimsdown): 1,883
*Esin Güneş – Labour Party (Bullsmoor): 1,192
*Susan Erbil – Labour Party (Carterhatch): 1,388
*Güneş Akbulut – Labour Party (Edmonton Green): 1,819
*Ergin Erbil – Labour Party (Edmonton Green): 1,784
*Suna Hürman – Labour Party (Enfield Lock): 2,077
*Sabri Özaydın – Labour Party (Enfield Lock): 1,856
*Eylem Yürük – Labour Party (Enfield Lock): 1,864
*Mustafa Çetinkaya – Labour Party (Haselbury): 2,039
*Nesil Çalışkan – Labour Party (Jubilee): 1,980
*Alev Cazimoğlu – Labour Party (Jubilee): 1,852
*Sinan Boztaş – Labour Party (Lower Edmonton): 1,939
*Güney Doğan – Labour Party (Lower Edmonton): 1,889
*Elif Erbil – Labour Party (Lower Edmonton): 1,839
*Mahmut Aksanoğlu – Labour Party (Southbury): 1,705
*Ayten Güzel – Labour Party (Southbury): 1,692
Hackney Council: 3 Councillors
*Deniz Oğuzkanlı – Labour Party (Lea Bridge): 1,732
*Muharrem Can Özşen – Labour Party (London Fields): 1,741
*Mete Çoban – Labour and Co-operative Party (Stoke Newington): 2,350
Haringey Council: 5 Councillors
*Erdal Doğan – Labour Party (Bruce Castle): 1,574
*Peray Ahmet – Labour Party (Noel Park): 1,849
*Emine İbrahim – Labour Party (Noel Park): 1,773
*Ajda Ovat – Labour Party (Northumberland Park): 1,658
*Makbule Güneş – Labour Party (South Tottenham): 1,737
Havering Council: 1 Councillor
*Osman Ali Derviş – Conservative Party (Marshalls and Rise Park): 1,981
Islington Council: 3 Councillors
*İlkay Cinko-Öner – Labour Party (Laycock): 1,603
*Nurullah Turan – Labour Party (Laycock): 1,506
*Gülçin Özdemir – Labour Party (Tufnell Park): 1,728
Kensington and Chelsea: 1 Councillor
*Cem Kemahlı – Conservative Party (Royal Hospital): 1,261
Lambeth Council: 1 Councillor
*İbrahim Doğuş – Labour Party (Waterloo and Southbank): 781
Waltham Forest Council: 3 Councillors
*Kay İsa – Conservative Party (Chingford Green): 2,130
*Sazimet Palta İmre – Conservative Party (Chingford Green): 2,039
*Justin Halabi –Conservative Party (Hatch Lane and Highams Park North Ward): 1,651
Wandsworth Council: 1 Councillor
*Aydın Dikerdem – Labour Party (Shaftesbury and Queenstown): 1,879
Results outside of London
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council: 1 Councillor
*Mus Tary – Conservative Party (Hooley, Merstham and Netherne): 958
Main photo above, clockwise top left: İlayda Nijhar (Ealing), Peray Ahmet (Haringey), Justin Halabi (Waltham Forest), Mus Tary (Reigate & Banstead), and Mete Çoban (Hackney)