Turkish Americans Running for Public Offices in 2012

Building on the election of two Turkish Americans in 2010 - the Honorable Jay Karahan’s reelection as Presiding Judge of the Harris County Criminal Court #8 in Houston, Texas, and John Alpay’s election as Area 3 Trustee for the Capistrano Unified School District in San Clemente, California - three Turkish Americans ran for public office in 2011 with the support of the Turkish American community and friends of Turkey. As the 2012 election cycle is full-swing, we need to continue the momentum to support upcoming Turkish Americans running for public office.

John Alpay

John Alpay is seeking re-election for a full term on the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees. He was first elected in 2010 and is currently serving on the Board as Vice President. John also serves as Director of Legal Affairs for a local company and was recognized as the 2011 Outstanding General Counsel of the Year by the Orange County Business Journal.  He holds degrees from the UCLA School of Law, the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management and the University of California, Berkeley. For more information visit www.johnalpay.com. 

Yelda Mesbah Bartlett

Yelda Bartlett is running for a seat on the AC Transit Board, the public transit authority for western Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The Board oversees the operations of a fleet of 689 buses with a $330 million budget and a staff of over 1,800. A native of Ankara, Turkey, Yelda obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California Berkeley and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Since 2007, Yelda has been the principal attorney at Bartlett Law Firm, where she practices Family Law and Civil Litigation. Yelda served as a commissioner for the Community Environmental Advisory Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women for the City of Berkeley, where she was elected chairwoman. Having worked for numerous national and statewide campaigns, Yelda now serves as an advisor to candidates seeking office in city, county, and statewide races. Website to be launched shortly.