Sima Acan first Turkish-Canadian elected to parliament

HAMILTON, Canada

Canada's 2025 federal election made history with the election of Sima Acan, the first member of parliament (MP) of Turkish descent.

Running for the Liberal Party, Acan won the new district of Oakville West in Ontario. The 45-year-old engineer and businesswoman immigrated to Canada at least 21 years ago.

"We made it," Acan told supporters after election results were released late Monday, and described her win as "life-changing."

Acan had 30,440 votes (52.7%) as of Tuesday afternoon.

Another Turkish-Canadian candidate, Yusuf Sinan Ulukanligil, ran for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in York Centre, but was not elected.

According to US-based Muslim Network TV, the 2025 Canadian federal election also saw a surge in the number of Muslim MPs elected to parliament, with at least 15 in total, up from 11 in the last election.

The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC) urged new Prime Minister Mark Carney to take a strong stance on human rights, especially regarding the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

"We are united in our call for Canada to take a firm stance for justice, human rights and international law as it relates to the situation in Gaza and its implications on our civil liberties in Canada," CMPAC said in a statement.