Mihri İffet Pektaş (1895 – 4 July 1979), also known as Mihri Bektaş, was a

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

school teacher and former politician. She is known as one of the first 18 female parliament members of Turkey. Mihri İffet was born in

Bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...

, then

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. In 1916, she graduated from

Arnavutköy American High School for Girls The American Robert College of Istanbul ( tr, İstanbul Özel Amerikan Robert Lisesi or ), often shortened to Robert, or RC, is a highly selective, independent, co-educational high school in Turkey.The Turkish education system divides schools i ...

İstanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

. After graduation, she taught

in the same institution between 1916 and1918. After 1920, she began teaching

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

in various schools in İstanbul. She was also a part-time nurse. She was married to Hüseyin Pektaş, vice principal of

Robert College The American Robert College of Istanbul ( tr, İstanbul Özel Amerikan Robert Lisesi or ), often shortened to Robert, or RC, is a Selective school, highly selective, Independent school, independent, mixed-sex education, co-educational Secondary ...

, and interpreter of the Turkish delegation at the Conference of Lausanne during 1922 and 1923.Dr. Fethi Tevetoğlu (1 November 1987) "volume: IV, November 1987". Archived 12 December 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013
/ref> She was mother of two.

Political career

Turkish women Women in Turkey are women who live in or are from Turkey. Turkey gave full political rights to women, including the right to elect and be elected locally in 1930 (nationwide in 1934). Article 10 of the Constitution of Turkey, Turkish Constitut ...

achieved voting rights in local elections on 3 April 1930.''Türkiye'nin 75 yılı'', Tempo Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 1998, p.48,59,250 Four years later, on 5 December 1934, they gained full

universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stanc ...

, earlier than most other countries. Mihri Pektaş joined the

Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party ( tr, Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, , acronymized as CHP ) is a Kemalist and social-democratic political party in Turkey which currently stands as the main opposition party. It is also the oldest political party ...

(CHP), and was elected in the general election held on 8 February 1935 from

Malatya Province Malatya Province ( tr, ; ku, Parezgêha Meletîyê) is a province of Turkey. It is part of a larger mountainous area. The capital of the province is Malatya. The area of Malatya province is 12,313 km². Malatya Province had a population of ...

into the

5th Parliament of Turkey The 5th Grand National Assembly of Turkey existed from 8 February 1935 to 3 April 1939. There were 444 MPs in the parliament all of which were the members of the Republican People's Party (CHP). 5th parliament was the first Turkish parliament in w ...

. She was among the first 18 women members of the Turkish parliament.Turkish parliament page
/ref> She kept her seat in the parliament in the following two terms up to 5 August 1946.

Aftermath

After 1946, Pektaş resumed her teaching career, and between 1947 and 1950, she participated in the

United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women advocates for the rights of women and girls, and focu ...

. She died on 4 July 1979.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pektas, Mihri 1895 births People from Bursa Alumni of Arnavutköy American High School for Girls Educators from the Ottoman Empire 20th-century Turkish women politicians Republican People's Party (Turkey) politicians Deputies of Malatya Women's suffrage in Turkey Members of the 5th Parliament of Turkey Members of the 6th Parliament of Turkey Members of the 7th Parliament of Turkey Turkish schoolteachers 1979 deaths