Mehmet Ali Aslan (born 1975 in

Silvan Silvan may refer to: * Saint Silvan, Christian martyr * Silvan (illusionist), Italian magician * Silvan Byggemarked, Danish chain store that sells building materials * Silvan Elves, woodland elves of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium * ...

, Diyarbakır Province, Turkey) is a Turkish politician of Mhallami descent and the founding chairman of the ethnic group's first organization, the ''Mhallami Association''. Born in

, Diyarbakır Province, Aslan grew up in Mercimekli in

Midyat Midyat ( ku, Midyad, Syriac: ܡܕܝܕ ''Mëḏyaḏ'', Turoyo: ''Miḏyoyo'', ar, مديات) is a town in the Mardin Province of Turkey. The ancient city is the center of a centuries-old Hurrian town in Upper Mesopotamia. In its long history, the ...

. Since 2002, he has been working as a sports teacher in

. Aslan contested the June 2015 general election as a list candidate for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Placed 4th representing

Mardin Mardin ( ku, Mêrdîn; ar, ماردين; syr, ܡܪܕܝܢ, Merdīn; hy, Մարդին) is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for the Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on ...

, Aslan was elected to become the first Mhallami member of the

Turkish Parliament The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Consti ...

. As he committed his

oath of office An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such ...

to the "peoples of Turkey" rather than "the Turkish people," he was called out for allegedly having Armenian roots. Aslan however denied "any connection with Armenians. If I had, I would be proud of it." In the November snap election, he was placed 2nd on the HDP's list in the neighboring Batman province and was subsequently reelected to parliament.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aslan, Mehmet Ali 1969 births Living people Turkish people of Mhallami descent Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey) politicians Deputies of Mardin Members of the 25th Parliament of Turkey Deputies of Batman Members of the 26th Parliament of Turkey