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At the Crossroads of Turkey’s Society: The transgender Candidate Esmeray

Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti was born in 1972 in the Kars city, in the easternmost part of Turkey. She was ostracized by her own family because of her sexual identity and had to immigrate to Istanbul when she was 15. At the age of 18 she decided to become transgender. She started sex work when she couldn’t find a job because she was transsexual. She also joined LGBT organizations for trans rights in the 90s and was repeatedly detained and tortured. Between 2000-2002, she studied theater at the Mesopotamia Cultural Center. She staged her first play, “The Witch’s Pack, in 2007, and in the following years, he staged the plays “Ripped Bundle” (2010) and “Before cutted” (2014). She became a member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) council in 2013. Esmeray joined TIP in 2019, became a TIP Istanbul deputy candidate in the elections to be held on 14 May.

Transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (front) attends Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) MP candidate introductory ceremony at the Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar Congress Center in Istanbul , Turkey, 09 April, 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (C) hands out a brochure after the opening ceremony of TIP's election office in the background picture of the Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Besiktas district, in Istanbul, Turkey, 15 April 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti chatting with make-up artist before her play “Kestir-meden Hikayeler”, in which she performs her personal experiences in the process of gender reconciliation with political humor at the Kadikoy Emek Theatre in Istanbul, Turkey, 18 April, 2023.

Transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (R) walks on the stage with the other candidates, greets their supporters with the LGBT+ flag after the Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) MP candidate introductory ceremony at the Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar Congress Center in Istanbul , Turkey, 09 April, 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (R-3) chats with seller as she visiting local bazaar in Besiktas district, in Istanbul, Turkey, 15 April 2023.

Transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (C) emotional reaction at the moment of the official announcement of her candidacy for parliament during the Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) MP candidate introductory ceremony at the Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar Congress Center in Istanbul , Turkey, 09 April, 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (C) attending the opening ceremony of TIP's election office in Besiktas district in Istanbul, Turkey, 15 April 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (C) visiting local bazaar in Besiktas district, in Istanbul, Turkey, 15 April 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (C) hugs her dog Seker (sugar) as she waiting for the solidarity meeting of the UniKuir (college LGBT communities) association at the Nazim Hikmet Culture and Art House in Istanbul, Turkey, 13 April 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti (C) hands out a brochure after the opening ceremony of TIP's election office in Besiktas district, in Istanbul, Turkey, 15 April 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti presents “Kestir-meden Hikayeler”, in which she performs her personal experiences in the process of gender reconciliation with political humor at the Kadikoy Emek Theatre in Istanbul, Turkey, 18 April, 2023.

Turkey's Workers Party (TIP) parliamentary candidate transgender Zeynep Esmeray Ozadikti tries on clothes in her living room before participating in the election campaign in Istanbul, Turkey, 20 April, 2023.

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