Born: 1975
Sebahat Tuncel (born 5 July 1975) is a Turkish politician of Kurdish origin, women’s rights advocate, former nurse, and member of the Parliament in Turkey. She was elected a member of parliament while being in prison.
Early Life and Education
Sebahat Tuncel was born in Yazhan and studied cartography and land surveying at Mersin University. It was during her time at university that she began her political career through the Women’s Branch of the People’s Democracy Party (HADEP) in 1998. She showed a strong commitment to advocating for women’s rights and became involved in the foundation of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), where she later became the spokesperson of its women’s assembly. Tuncel went on to become the vice co-chairperson and Istanbul deputy of the DTP. Throughout her career, she has also worked with international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Amnesty International (AI).
Political Career
Sebahat Tuncel’s political career hasn’t been without its challenges. She was arrested on 5 November 2006, accused of membership in the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party). However, her determination and popularity were showcased when she ran as an independent candidate within the Thousand Hopes alliance for the parliamentary elections from prison. Against all odds, she won a seat in Istanbul with an overwhelming 93,000 votes. This victory, in turn, led to her release from custody in July 2007.
Tuncel’s groundbreaking achievement was her election to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey from prison, surprising many. In the parliamentary election of 2011, she ran as an independent candidate supported by the Labor, Democracy, and Freedom Block and was elected as a member of parliament for Istanbul’s first electoral district. During her tenure, she led a movement that criticized the unjust prevention of Hatip Dicle from assuming his seat in parliament, despite being elected.
In 2013, Sebahat Tuncel was elected as co-chair of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) alongside Erturul Kürkçü. She continued to advocate for the rights and cultural improvements of the Kurdish population in Turkey, often chastising the AKP (Justice and Development Party) and the Kemalist Republican People’s Party for hindering negotiations on these matters.
Recognition of Armenian Genocide
Tuncel has also gained recognition for her efforts to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. In November 2014, she presented the Armenian Genocide Recognition Bill in the Turkish parliament, urging Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan to publicly apologize for the Armenian Genocide. Her determination to shed light on this dark chapter of history is a testament to her commitment to justice and human rights.
Prosecution and Imprisonment
Unfortunately, Sebahat Tuncel has faced prosecution and imprisonment in her fight for justice and equality. On 4 October 2016, she was taken into custody and subsequently arrested in November of the same year. The prosecution requested a staggering 130 years of imprisonment for terror-related charges, citing her membership in the legal party DTP and 16 statements and speeches she made during meetings and press conferences.