FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2018
Represent Me AZ Revokes Candidate Forum Invitation to CD2 Candidate Yahya Yuksel and Implores Him to Drop Out of Race
After a disturbing “press conference” where the candidate attempted to use his age to excuse non consensual sex, and campaign staff and his family went so far as to attack other victims in attendance, we sent the following email to his campaign revoking his invitation to the Candidate Forum scheduled for this Thursday, July 19th at Tucson High School starting at 6:00 pm.
“Yahya Yuksel and Campaign:
In light of the press conference that our four current board members witnessed in person this morning, we are revoking our invitation to include you in our Candidate Forum on July 19th. We attended the press conference hoping that you would acknowledge the mistake you made years ago and accept responsibility for the damage you did to another person. Instead, you and several members of your campaign attempted to excuse your actions, and then began attacking other victims who had come, at your invitation, to ask questions. Attempting to explain away the damage by citing your youth was, at best, tone deaf, and at worst, perpetuates a dangerous rape culture in which women who cannot give consent are frightened into silence and are victimized further.
Represent Me AZ is an organization that is committed to holding elected officials, and those who seek office, accountable for their actions. We are committed to ensuring that CD2’s constituents have access to those who represent us, or who hope to. We have asserted that voters, when given all the information, make good decisions, and so we set to work giving all candidates an equal platform. Following today’s press conference, we are no longer willing to give you access to voters. We are disappointed that you are choosing to stay in this race, as we take the representation of our District very seriously and we are all too familiar with the damage that can be done by a Representative who doesn’t reflect our values. We feel your irresponsible actions and the way you have handled your mistake distracts from the very important issues that CD2 voters face, and the decision that they must make on August 28th. We strongly implore you to withdraw from the race.
Represent Me AZ”