▁including ▁voting ▁and ▁being ▁elected . ▁Women ▁won ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁municipal ▁elections ▁on ▁March   2 0 ,   1 9 3 0 . ▁Women ' s ▁suff rage ▁was ▁achieved ▁for ▁parliament ary ▁elections ▁on ▁December   5 ,   1 9 3 4 , ▁through ▁a ▁constitution al ▁am end ment . ▁Turkish ▁women , ▁who ▁participated ▁in ▁parliament ary ▁elections ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁on ▁February   8 ,   1 9 3 5 , ▁obtained ▁ 1 8   se ats . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁republic , ▁when ▁At at ür k ▁ran ▁a ▁one - party ▁state , ▁his ▁party ▁picked ▁all ▁candidates . ▁A ▁small ▁percentage ▁of ▁seats ▁were ▁set ▁aside ▁for ▁women , ▁so ▁naturally ▁those ▁female ▁candidates ▁won . ▁When ▁multi - party ▁elections ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁the ▁share ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁fell , ▁and ▁the ▁ 4 % ▁share ▁of ▁parliament ary ▁seats ▁gained ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁was ▁not ▁reached ▁again ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁In ▁the ▁parliament ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁women ▁hold ▁about ▁ 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁seats . ▁Nevertheless , ▁Turkish ▁women ▁gained ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote ▁a ▁de cade ▁or ▁more ▁before ▁women ▁in ▁such ▁Western ▁European ▁countries ▁as ▁France , ▁Italy , ▁and ▁Belg ium ▁  – ▁a ▁mark ▁of ▁At at ür k ' s ▁far - re aching ▁social ▁changes . ▁ ▁United