Merve Kavakçı

Merve Safa Kavakçı (born 19 August 1968, Ankara) is Turkish politician, who was elected as a Virtue Party deputy for Istanbul on April 18, 1999. Kavakci became the first conservative woman elected to the Turkish Parliament.

Kavakci won her case in the European Court of Human Rights, France

On May 2, 1999, Kavakci was precluded from taking her oath in the swear-in ceremony by members of the Democratic Leftist Party due to her headscarf. Her Turkish citizenship was revoked following the parliament ordeal. Kavakci lost her seat in the parliament in March 2001. The Virtue Party was closed down by the Constitutional Court in June 2001, banning five parliamentarians including Kavakci from running for office for a period of five years.

In 2007, Kavakci won the legal case when the European Court of Human Rights found that Kavakcı's expulsion from parliament was a violation of human rights. ^[1] Since then, Kavakçı has been an outspoken critic of Turkey's secularization policy, traveling the globe in support of Muslim women's rights, especially to the hijab. In addition to lecturing at universities throughout Europe and the United States, Kavakçı addressed the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona. Kavakci also addressed British Parliament House of Lords in London, England. She has lectured and spoke at myriad of American and European Universities including Harvard, Yale, Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover, Duisburg and Cambridge Universities.

Kavakçı is a Hafiz-al Qur'an. She received her master's degree from Harvard University and her PhD from Howard University. Kavakçı is currently a professor at George Washington University and Howard University in Washington D.C. She is the mother of two, Fatima Abushanab, 21 and Mariam Kavakci, 20. ^[2]

Kavakci is a graduate of Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government

Kavakci is recognized among the World's Most Influential 500 Muslims. She was recognized among "Women of Excellence" by NAACP and GWU in 2004. She was awarded the Public Service Award in Tribute and in Recognition of efforts for the advancement of human rights and Muslim Women's empowerment by International Association for Women and Children in 2000. She was awarded Service to Humanity Award by Haus Der Kulturellen Aktivitat und Toleranz in Vienna, Austria in 1999. She was granted Mother of the Year Award by Capital Platform of Ankara and National Youth Organization in 1999.

The British Houses of Parliament, London

Kavakci is a consultant for US Congress on the Muslim world and a columnist for Turkish daily Vakit newspaper. She sits at the Editorial Board of Mediterranean Quarterly. She is the author of six books and numerous articles.

In 2012, a book about Kavakci titled "The Day Turkey Stood Still: Merve Kavakci's Walk Into the Parliament" by Richard Peres was published. The book reveals for the first time what happened behind closed doors to prevent Merve Kavakci from taking her oath of office, and it deconstructs her vilification by the government, the military, the media, and the political parties. The book also uses this fascinating true story to promote a greater understanding of contemporary Turkish politics and to illustrate the ongoing tension between Turkey's military-secular bloc and its predominantly Islamic population. This highly-accessible book resonates with Western readers who want to know more about this fundamental issue and gain a greater understanding of women's issues, religious conflicts, political Islam, human rights, and the struggle for democracy in the Middle East.

References

1. ^ "Headscarf deputy stripped of Turkish citizenship". BBC News. 1999-05-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/344787.stm. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 
2. ^ "Live dialogue: Guest CV". Islamonline.net. http://www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/english/Guestcv.asp?hGuestID=uNzHe0. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 

External links

• Official site (English) (Turkish) (Arabic)

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