Sebahat Tuncel
Sebahat Tuncel MP | |
---|---|
Honorary President of the Peoples' Democratic Party | |
Assumed office 22 June 2014 | |
Serving with | Ertuğrul Kürkçü |
Chairpersons |
Figen Yüksekdağ Selahattin Demirtaş |
Preceded by | Position established |
Chairwoman of the Peoples' Democratic Party | |
In office 27 October 2013 – 22 June 2014 | |
Chairman | Ertuğrul Kürkçü |
Preceded by | Fatma Gök |
Succeeded by | Figen Yüksekdağ |
Spokeswoman of the Peoples' Democratic Congress | |
Assumed office 16 October 2011 | |
Spokesman | Ertuğrul Kürkçü |
Preceded by | Position established |
Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
Assumed office 22 July 2007 | |
Constituency |
İstanbul (III) (2007) İstanbul (I) (2011) |
Personal details | |
Born |
Yazıhan, Malatya Province, Turkey | 5 July 1975
Political party |
People's Democracy Party (1998-2003) Democratic People's Party (2003-2005) Democratic Society Party (2005-2008) Peace and Democracy Party (2008–2014) Peoples' Democratic Party (2014–present) |
Other political affiliations | Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) |
Alma mater | Mersin University |
Sebahat Tuncel (born 5 July 1975) is a Kurdish politician, women’s rights advocate, former nurse and member of Parliament in Turkey.[1]
She was born in Yazıhan and studied cartography and land surveying in Mersin University, before beginning her political career through the Women’s Branch of the Party of People’s Democracy (HADEP) in 1998. She is currently vice co-chairperson and Istanbul deputy of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), which she helped to found. She has also worked with international organizations such as UNDP and Amnesty International.[2] She went on trial for a membership in the PKK in 2006, accused of making frequent trips to PKK camps in northern Iraq, and was subsequently imprisoned. She ran for the parliamentary elections from prison and after winning a seat in Istanbul with 93,000 votes,[3] was released from custody in July 2007.[4] She is the youngest woman to serve in the Turkish Parliament and the first person in Turkish history to be elected to parliament from prison.
Notes
- ↑ "Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi 23. Dönem Milletvekili". Grand National Assembly of Turkey. 2007. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
- ↑ The Relations Between the US, the Kurds, and Turkey, Sebahat Tuncel, Watson Institute, Brown University, Feb. 2008
- ↑ Row erupts over jailed Turkey MP, BBC, July 2007.
- ↑ The Kurdish Struggle in Turkey: An interview with Sebahat Tuncel, MP, Jake Hess, ZNet, June 2008.