Sebahat Tuncel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sebahat Tuncel
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Co-Chair of the Democratic Regions Party | |
| In office 10 May 2016 – 1 December 2019 Serving with Kamuran Yüksek
|
|
| Preceded by | Emine Ayna & Kamuran Yüksek |
| Succeeded by | Saliha Aydeniz |
| 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 | |
| In office 16 October 2011 – 7 June 2015 |
|
| Spokesman | Ertuğrul Kürkçü |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 22 July 2007 – 7 June 2015 |
|
| Constituency | İstanbul (III) (2007) İstanbul (I) (2011) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 July 1975 Yazıhan, Turkey |
| Political party | People's Democracy Party (1998–2003) Democratic People's Party (2003–2005) Democratic Society Party (2005–2008) Peace and Democracy Party (2008–2012) Peoples' Democratic Party (2012–2014) Democratic Regions Party (2014–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) |
| Alma mater | Mersin University |
Sebahat Tuncel (born 5 July 1975) is a Turkish politician. She is known for her work as a women's rights advocate. She also served as a member of the Parliament in Turkey. Interestingly, she was elected to parliament while she was in prison.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sebahat Tuncel was born in Yazıhan, Turkey. She studied cartography and land surveying at Mersin University. After her studies, she began her political journey.
Her political career started in 1998. She joined the Women's Branch of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP). Later, she helped create the Democratic Society Party (DTP). She became the spokesperson for its women's group. She also worked with global organizations. These included the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Amnesty International (AI).
Her Journey in Politics
In November 2006, Sebahat Tuncel was arrested. This was due to certain allegations related to a political group. While in prison, she decided to run for parliament. She ran as an independent candidate in the 2007 elections. She won a seat in Istanbul with 93,000 votes. Because she won, she was released from custody in July 2007. Many people were surprised by her election from prison.
In the 2011 parliamentary election, she ran again. She was an independent candidate supported by a group called the Labor, Democracy and Freedom Block. She was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Istanbul. After her election, she led a movement. This movement spoke out when another elected politician, Hatip Dicle, was not allowed to take his seat.
In 2013, she became a co-chair of the HDP party. She shared this role with Ertuğrul Kürkçü. In May 2016, she was elected co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP). She served alongside Kamuran Yüksek. When several DBP mayors were removed from their positions in September 2016, she encouraged them. She asked them to continue working for the people from their party offices.
Standing Up for Rights
Sebahat Tuncel has strong beliefs about human rights. She has always pushed for more cultural rights for the Kurdish people in Turkey. She believed that other political parties were slowing down talks on these important issues.
Advocating for Historical Recognition
Sebahat Tuncel has also spoken out about historical events. She has made statements asking Turkey to recognize the Armenian genocide. In November 2014, she presented a bill in the Turkish parliament. This bill urged the Turkish President to apologize for the Armenian Genocide.
Challenges and Advocacy
On 4 October 2016, Sebahat Tuncel was taken into custody. She was arrested in November 2016. Prosecutors sought a long prison sentence for her. These charges were related to her political activities and speeches. On 5 January 2018, she was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.
In January 2019, she joined a hunger strike. This strike was led by Leyla Güven. The strike demanded an end to the isolation of a political figure. In February 2019, while still on hunger strike, she received another sentence. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison. This was for being a member of a political organization and for making speeches that supported it. In October 2020, she was included in investigations related to the 2014 Kobanî protests.
In September 2020, she received another sentence. This was for comments she made about the Turkish president. She had called him an "enemy of women" in a 2016 speech. This statement came after the president made controversial comments about women's equality and motherhood. On 17 March 2021, a state prosecutor demanded a five-year ban from politics for Tuncel. This was part of a case to close the HDP party. She was finally released from prison on 16 May 2024.
