Sebahat Tuncel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sebahat Tuncel
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| Co-Chair of the Democratic Regions Party | |
| In office 10 May 2016 – 1 December 2019 Serving with Kamuran Yüksek
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| Preceded by | Emine Ayna & Kamuran Yüksek |
| Succeeded by | Saliha Aydeniz |
| Honorary President of the Peoples' Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office 22 June 2014 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 22 July 2007 – 7 June 2015 |
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| Ertuğrul Kürkçü | |
| 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 was born on July 5, 1975, in Yazıhan, Turkey. She is a Turkish politician of Kurdish background and a strong supporter of women's rights. Before becoming a politician, she worked as a nurse. She also served as a member of the Parliament in Turkey. A remarkable fact about her is that she was elected to parliament while she was in prison.
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Early Life and Learning
Sebahat Tuncel grew up in Yazıhan. She studied cartography and land surveying at Mersin University. Her journey into politics began in 1998. She joined the Women's Branch of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP).
Later, she helped start the Democratic Society Party (DTP). She became the spokesperson for the women's group within this party. She also served as a vice co-chairperson and represented Istanbul for the DTP. Sebahat Tuncel has also worked with big international groups. These include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Amnesty International (AI).
Her Journey in Politics
On November 5, 2006, Sebahat Tuncel was arrested. She faced accusations related to the PKK. However, she decided to run for parliament while still in prison. She was an independent candidate in the 2007 elections. She was part of the Thousand Hopes group.
Surprisingly, she won a seat for Istanbul with 93,000 votes. Because she won, she was released from custody in July 2007. This was a big surprise to many people. In the 2011 parliamentary election, she ran again as an independent. She was supported by the Labor, Democracy and Freedom Block. She was re-elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Istanbul's first area.
After her election, she led a movement. This movement spoke out when Hatip Dicle was not allowed to take his seat in parliament. He had been elected, but faced issues. In 2013, she became a co-chair of the HDP. She shared this role with Ertuğrul Kürkçü. In May 2016, she was elected co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP). She worked alongside Kamuran Yüksek. When several DBP mayors were removed in September 2016, she encouraged them. She asked them to keep working for the people from their party buildings.
What She Believes In
Sebahat Tuncel strongly believes in improving cultural rights for the Kurdish people in Turkey. She has stated that some political parties were slowing down talks on this important issue.
Standing Up for History
Sebahat Tuncel has spoken out many times about the Armenian genocide. She believes Turkey should recognize it. In November 2014, she presented a bill in the Turkish parliament. This bill was called the Armenian Genocide Recognition Bill. She urged the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to apologize publicly for the Armenian Genocide.
Facing Challenges
On October 4, 2016, Sebahat Tuncel was taken into custody. She was arrested in November 2016. She faced legal challenges. In January 2018, she was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.
In January 2019, she joined a hunger strike. This strike was started by Leyla Güven. They were demanding an end to the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan. In February 2019, while still on hunger strike, she received another sentence. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison. This was for being part of a group and speaking out for that group. In October 2020, she was included in investigations related to the Kobanî protests from 2014.
In September 2020, she received another sentence of 11 months. This was for speaking about the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. She had called him an "enemy of women" in a speech in 2016. She made this statement after President Erdoğan had said "women are not equal to men" in 2014. He also said "women who reject motherhood are deficient and incomplete" in 2016. On March 17, 2021, a state prosecutor asked for a five-year ban on politics for Tuncel. This request also included 686 other HDP politicians. It also asked for the closure of the HDP. She was released on May 16, 2024.
