UPDATE - Erdogan willing to increase women mayors in his party

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM ERDOGAN

By Fatih Hafız Mehmet

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish president said on Monday the number of women mayors in his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party are "not enough" and that it should increase.

Speaking at a training program of the women’s branch at the party's headquarters in Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the number of women mayors should reflect the proportion of women in the population.

"AK Party has eight women mayors. We do not see this as adequate. Our desire is to reflect a proportional picture according to the population," Erdogan said.

He said the movement which liberated women in Turkey is AK Party.

"Politics which ignores, inactivates or wastes the potential and power of women does not stand a chance in Turkey."

Those who exclude women or view them just as a "show pieces" are doomed to fail in politics, he said.

Erdogan said AK Party women's branch has started preparing for the upcoming local elections in 2019.

He added the full reflection of the results of June 24 general elections in Turkey will be related to the success of the upcoming 2019 local elections.

The local elections are set to be held on March 31, 2019.