With Turkey expected to witness a heated race among political parties to win seats in Parliament in the June 7 general elections, many figures from different circles have taken the first step toward gaining a seat as Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies. Following a wave of resignations by civil servants on February 10, the candidacy of public figures other than bureaucrats is becoming clearer by the day. The AK Party is looking to announce diverse deputy candidate nominees in order to represent all segments of society. Candidates from minorities as well as women and young deputies are expected to be placed on the AK Party's deputy candidate list in the upcoming weeks.Markar Esayan, a Turkish-Armenian journalist and TV commentator, is among the candidate nominees aiming to gain a seat as a AK Party deputy.Regarding the candidates representing minorities, Deputy Prime Minister and AK Party spokesperson Bülent Arınç said: "There should be more candidates from minorities as well as women and young deputies. In the foundation Parliament, in accordance with the law, there are members from ethnic minorities. We are benefiting very much from their presence. As I get to know them, I think that they would serve very well in Parliament."Republican People's Party (CHP) former Executive Board (MYK) member and adviser to former CHP leader Deniz Baykal, Savcı Sayan, submitted his application to be a deputy candidate nominee for the AK Party. Sayan drew the nation's attention during the Aug. 10 presidential election when he supported Erdoğan's presidential candidacy with his minibus, on the side of which was written: "My party is the CHP, my vote goes to RTE [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]." Sayan was dismissed from the CHP in 2012 due to his holding divergent views to the party's policies and ideologies.Philippe Roger Delaisement, a 49-year-old French businessman who lives in Turkey, submitted his candidacy application to the AK Party recently. Delaisement came to Turkey in 2002 to build an assembly line for a French auto company and he later converted to Islam and married a Turkish woman, Evrim Delaisement.Ahmet Eşref Fakıbaba, who served two terms as mayor in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, announced he will be a deputy candidate nominee for the AK Party. While submitting his application for candidacy Fakıbaba said that he would do his best to fulfill his duty if he won a seat in Parliament. Kurdish singer İbrahim Tatlıses also submitted an application for candidacy to the AK Party in an attempt to receive a seat as a deputy for Şanlıurfa.Mehmet Özhaseki, who has been serving as Kayseri province mayor for 20 years, also resigned from his post to run as a deputy. His candidacy is an exception, since it was announced that AK Party mayors are not allowed to leave their post for deputy candidate nomination.Academic Ahmet Doğan, the father of Furkan Doğan, who was killed by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza in 2010, resigned his post to run for nomination.Accepted as a symbol of the headscarf during the February 28 post-modern coup, Leyla Şahin, who was sent down from Istanbul University for wearing a headscarf on February 28, 1997, is expected to compete for a seat in the upcoming elections if nominated.The chief advisor of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Aydın Ünal; undersecretary of the Finance Ministry, Naci Ağbal; rector of Harran University, İbrahim Halil Mutlu; rector of Şırnak University, Ali Akmaz; rector of the Turkish Aviation Association (THK) University, Ünsal Ban; vice president of the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), Ali Akay; European champion Turkish wrestler, Selçuk Çebi and members of the Wise Men Committee, Erol Göka and Hüseyin Yayman will also run for Parliament.