JINHA

ISTANBUL – Women staying in shelters in Turkey continue to be unable to exercise their fundamental right to vote.

With Turkey's parliamentary election upcoming on June 7th, people in Turkey are preparing to cast their votes in a highly contested election—with the exception of women in Turkey's state-run women's shelters. "This situation amounts to weakening and punishing women," said Melike Keleş, of the Purple Roof Women's Shelter Foundation.

The group Women's Coalition originally announced that women in shelters would be unable to vote, a situation confirmed by Purple Roof. Turkish state officials have told women that they will be unable to have access to polling stations for "security reasons." Women's groups have called the state's attention to the problem before, but none of those responsible have undertaken any effort to find a way for women in shelters to vote.

(dc/zd/cm)