Monday, March 23, 2015

One woman's journey from prisoner to mayor - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

One woman's journey from prisoner to mayor

Gultan Kisanak is the first female mayor of the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, which is widely seen as the unofficial capital of Turkey’s Kurds. Kisanak is among thousands of political activists who served time in Diyarbakir prison after the Turkish army’s coup in 1980. Like many, she was tortured for refusing to renounce her Kurdish identity. Prior to being elected mayor last year, Kisanak was a member of parliament for the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party.

More:One woman's journey from prisoner to mayor - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East