Özlem Zengin
Özlem Zengin graduated from the Faculty of Law at Istanbul University in 1990. During her graduate years, she wrote for ‘Teklif’, a journal on law and actuality. After her graduation she lived in the US for some time and she had a teaching position following her return. Between 1998 and 2001 she worked as a producer and speaker for the TV show ‘Hayatın İçinden’ at the TV channel Kanal 7. In 2001 she founded IKAMER (Istanbul Woman and Family Research Centre) with her close friends. She also started working as a self-employed lawyer. In 2003 she was elected as a member to the AKP Istanbul Provincial Board. Since 2005 she took the responsibility of promotion and media activities as a director. Until 2011, she worked as a member of the provincial board without any intervals. Years later she returned to academic life for having a master's degree. She completed her master's degree at Marmara University Institute of Social Sciences in the area of Sociology of Religion. The tite of her Master’s thesis is ‘Sociological Changes in the Perception of Religion and Secularism in the Light of Adjudication.’ She also worked as a columnist in Yeni Akit newspaper. On May 12, 2012, during the Third Ordinary Istanbul Provincial Women’s Branches Congress, she was elected as the Chairwoman of AKP Women’s Branches. She is also a founding member of Beyaz El Solidarity Foundation.[1]