Sema Ramazanoğlu (born August 25, 1959) is 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 ...

politician from the

Justice and Development Party Justice and Development Party may refer to several political parties, the best-known ones being: * Justice and Development Party (Morocco) * Justice and Development Party (Turkey) Justice and Development Party may also refer to: * Justice and Dev ...

(AKP) who served as the Minister of Family and Social Policy in the third cabinet of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu from 24 November 2015 to 24 May 2016. She is the second cabinet minister of Turkey to wear a headscarf, after her predecessor as Family and Social Policy Minister Ayşen Gürcan. She serves as a Member of Parliament for the

electoral district An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

Denizli Denizli is an industrial city in the southwestern part of Turkey and the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about . Denizli is located in the country's Aegean Region. ...

since being elected in the

snap general election A snap election is an election that is called earlier than the one that has been scheduled. Generally, a snap election in a parliamentary system (the dissolution of parliament) is called to capitalize on an unusual electoral opportunity or to ...

on 1 November 2015. Before becoming an MP and a cabinet minister, Ramazanoğlu served as an advisor to former Prime Minister

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the List of presidents of Turkey, 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Lis ...

from 2003 to 2009 in his capacity as AKP leader, having also been one of the founders of the AKP. She has served on the party's Central Executive Decision Board (MKYK). Her sister, Selma Aliye Kavaf, was also an AKP Member of Parliament from 2007 to 2011 and served as a Minister of State responsible for women and social policy between 2009 and 2011. Ramazanoğlu faced large-scale criticism and calls for her resignation after it was revealed that 45 children staying at illegal dormitories owned by the Ensar Foundation, a pro-government religious education provider, had been raped by one of Ensar's teachers in Karaman. Ramazanoğlu was ridiculed for her defence of the Foundation, claiming that a 'one-time occurrence of such a situation should not be used to discredit Ensar's contributions to society.'

Early life and career

Ramazanoğlu was born in 1959 in

. She is married to Yıldırım Mehmet Ramazanoğlu, who is also a politician. She graduated from

Ankara University Ankara University ( tr, Ankara Üniversitesi) is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the formation of the republic in 1923. The university has 40 vocat ...

as a

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

and later travelled to

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

to specialise in the field of radiology. While working in universities and hospitals in Switzerland, she was active in both Turkish and Islamic societies living in Europe. As a surgeon, Ramazanoğlu worked for over 20 years in numerous well known state hospitals and also participated in the administration of health-related foundations, such as the Women's Medics Association (KASAD-D). She was also a member of the Caspian Education, Culture and Solidarity Association. She participated in the establishment of and worked in a private clinic in Istanbul.

Early political career

Women's rights

Ramazanoğlu was actively involved in the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) foundation in New York City, helping with the presentation and providing guidance with the preparation of reports regarding Turkey. Besides the United Nations, Ramazanoğlu has also participated in several other international organisations dealing with women in the contemporary world. She has represented the AKP in numerous events regarding problems women face in Turkey and the Islamic World. She has also been a columnist for the 'Woman and Family' (''“Kadın ve Aile”'') magazine. Ramazanoğlu is also a founding member of the Wise Women Advisory Board of the Islamic Development Bank in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...

, Saudi Arabia. She acted as an honorary advisor to the president of the board in projects concerning women and family policies, proposals and the planning and implementation of projects.

Justice and Development Party

In 2001, Ramazanoğlu participated in the establishment of the

(AKP) and has been a member since. In 2003, she was elected to the Central Executive Decision Board (MKYK) and was re-elected in 2006, serving until 2009. She also served as an advisor to Prime Minister and party leader

. Her sister Selma Aliye Kavaf was also a former AKP MP and a Minister of State.

Minister of Family and Social Policy

Ramazanoğlu was fielded as a second preference candidate for the

by the AKP and was elected in the November 2015 general election as a Member of Parliament. Ramazanoğlu was appointed as the Minister of Family and Social Policy in the 64th government of Turkey by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on 24 November 2015. She is the second minister in the history of Turkey to wear a headscarf, the first being her predecessor Ayşen Gürcan.

References

External links

MP profile on the Grand National Assembly websiteCollection of all relevant news items at Haberler.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramazanoglu, Sema 1959 births Living people Deputies of Denizli People from Denizli Turkish surgeons Justice and Development Party (Turkey) politicians Members of the 26th Parliament of Turkey Members of the 64th government of Turkey Ankara University alumni Ministers of family and social policy of Turkey Women government ministers of Turkey Government ministers of Turkey Turkish women physicians Turkish physicians 20th-century Turkish physicians 21st-century Turkish physicians 20th-century women physicians 21st-century women physicians 20th-century surgeons