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Turkish American National Steering Committee - TASC (8 March 2020)

“Humankind is made up of two sexes, women and men. Is it possible that a mass is improved by the improvement of only one part and the other part is ignored? Is it possible that if half of a mass is tied to earth with chains and the other half can soar into skies?” - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Celebrating 37 Turkish Women Ambassadors Serving Across the Globe, and the Turkish Women Who Made History

The Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) is proud to commend the 37 female Ambassadors who represent the Republic of Turkey across the world on International Women's Day.

1. Armağan İnci Ersoy: Paraguay

2. Artemiz Sümer: Phillipines

3. Ayda Ünlü: Cambodia

4. Ayşe Berris Ekinci: Cuba

5. Ayşe Hilal Koytak: Kuwait

6. Ayşe Saraç: Cameroon

7. Ayşe Sözen Usluer: Oman

8. Berin M. Tulun: Namibia

9. Burcu Çevik: Rwanda

10. D. Ela Görkem Gökçe: Dominican Republic

11. Ece Öztürk: Colombia

12. Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen: South Africa

13. Esen Altuğ: Slovenia

14. Evren Akgün: Thailand

15. F. Ceren Yazgan: Georgia

16. Fazilet Dağcı Çığlık: Luxembourg

17. Füsun Aramaz: Romania

18. Gülin Dinç: Chile

19. Gülsun Erkul: Latvia

20. H. Aslıgül Üğdül: Slovakia

21. H. Oya Tunga Çağlı: Ecuador

22. H. Yonca Özçeri: Côte d’Ivoire

23. Hayriye Kumaşcıoğlu: Estonia

24. H. Nurdan Erpulat Altuntaş: Trinidad and Tobago

25. K. Nilvana Darama: Belarus

26. Lale Ülker: Portugal

27. Meltem Büyükkarakaş: Botswana

28. Merve Safa Kavakçı: Malaysia

29. Özlem G. Ergün Ulueren: Ghana

30. Serap Ataay: Burundi

31. Songül Ozan: Montenegro

32. Ş. Serap Özcoşkun: Bolivia

33. Şebnem Cenk: Equatorial Guinea

34. Şebnem İncesu: Zambia

35. Tülin Erkal Kara: Macedonia

36. Yaprak Alp: Ethiopia

37. Zeynep Kızıltan: Mozambique

Notable Women in Modern Turkish History

Güler Sabancı: Turkish Businesswoman

Güler Sabancı is the chairperson of Sabancı Holdings, the second-largest financial firm in Turkey. She was featured in Forbes as the 60th most powerful woman in the world (2014).

She has also been recognized with the Clinton Global Citizen Award and Raymond Georis Innovative Philanthropist Award.

Leyla Gencer, Turkish Operatic Soprano

Leyla Gencer performed in more than 70 operas in her career. After retirement, she spent her time mentoring young opera singers throughout Europe. She passed away in 2008 at the age of 80.

Yildiz Kenter, Turkish Actress

Yildiz Kenter was a Turkish actress who starred in Turkey's most famous films, including Agaçlar Ayakta Ölür (1964) and Ayse, My Daughter (1974). She starred in over 20 films and dozens of plays, including "I, Anatolia”, in her distinguished career. Yildiz Kenter passed away in 2019 at the age of 91.

Kara Fatma: Turkey's Heroine from the Turkish War of Independence

Kara Fatma was a decorated war heroine in the Turkish War of Independence. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk approved Fatma to command a militia group, comprising of 43 women and 700 men. She was twice captured by Greek forces, but managed to escape both times. Her unit was one of the first to enter Izmir during the Liberation of Izmir on September 9, 1922.

Sabiha Gökçen: World's First Female Fighter Pilot

At age 23, Sabiha Gökçen was the world's first female fighter pilot and commercial pilot. Though women were not being accepted into the Turkish Military Academy in those years, Ataturk enlisted her in the Turkish Aviation School. Though Gokcen aspired to be a special forces parachuter, she found her strength in leading bomber squadrons against anti-government militias and organized crime groups in the Turkish southeast. She received the Murassa Medal for this operation.

One of Istanbul’s international airports was named in her honor. Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is the world’s third largest single runway airport and serves more than 35 million passengers a year.

Safiye Ali: The Modern Turkish Republic's First Female Physician

Turkey's first female physician. Safiye Ali earned her medical license in 1916, and opened her own practice in 1922. Before that, she treated Turkish soldiers in the Balkan Wars and World War I.

Turkish Women in Sports

Turkish Women’s Volleyball Ranks 10th in the World

The Turkish National Women’s Volleyball Team finished the 2018 World Championships in Japan to rank 10th in the world!

Turkish Women’s U-19 Soccer Qualifies for UEFA 2019 Elite Round

The Turkish Women’s U19 National Soccer routed South Cyprus 3-1, Azerbaijan 2-0, Ireland 2-0, and drew 1-1 with Austria, to qualify for the Elite Round of the 2019 European Championship finals that will be held in Scotland.

Turkish Women’s Basketball Ranks 10th in the World

The Turkish National Women’s Basketball Team finished the 2018 World Championships in Spain to rank 10th in the world!

TASC's Executive Women

Former Projects Director Caroline Connor and Secretary of the Board of Directors Oya Bain