MP Ilhan Ahmet said "YES" to the bill legalising same-sex marriage
The bill legalising same-sex marriage, which was submitted to the approval of the deputies in the Greek Parliament, was approved by a majority of votes. Thus, Greece became the first Christian Orthodox majority country to legalise same-sex marriage.
MPs from the New Democracy, PASOK, SYRIZA, Plevsi Eleftherias and New Left parties spoke in favour of the bill, while the KKE, Spartans, Hellenic Solution and Niki parties opposed it.
254 out of 300 deputies voted for the draft law. 176 MPs voted "YES", 76 MPs voted "NO" and 2 MPs voted "Present". The number of MPs who did not attend the parliamentary meeting where the bill was discussed was 46.
107 New Democracy MPs voted in favour of the bill, 31 abstained and 20 voted against.
Xanthi MP Hüseyin Zeybek, minority member of the New Left Party, Rhodope MP Özgü Ferhat and PASOK Xanthi MP Burhan Baran did not attend the meeting where the draft law on gay marriage and gay adoption was discussed.
Ilhan Ahmet said “YES”
The bill on marriage rights for same-sex couples passed in the Greek parliament. 21 deputies of PASOK vote in favour.
Eleven PASOK MPs abstained, but no MP rejected the bill. In particular, the MP for Rhodope, Ilhan Ahmet, supported the draft law on marriage equality with a letter vote.
He did not escape attention that the anti-Turkish Greek press, which targets members of the Western Thrace Muslim Turkish Minority who do not approve of homosexuality due to their beliefs, praised İlhan Ahmet.
