Selma Aliye Kavaf (born 1 July 1962) is a Turkish politician. She is the former Minister of State Responsible for Women and Family Affairs, and a member of parliament for

Denizli Denizli is a city in Aegean Region, Aegean Turkey, and seat of the province of Denizli Province, Denizli. The city forms the urban part of the districts Merkezefendi and Pamukkale, Denizli, Pamukkale, with a population of 691 783 in 2024. Denizl ...

of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). In the

2023 Turkish parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Turkey on 14 May 2023, alongside presidential elections, to elect all 600 members of the Grand National Assembly. The incoming members formed the 28th Parliament of Turkey. The elections had originally been ...

, she was elected in

Manisa Manisa () is a city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province, lying approximately 40 km northeast of the major city of İzmir. The city forms the urban part of the districts Şehzadeler and Yunusemre, with ...

for the

Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (RPP; , CHP ) is a Kemalism, Kemalist and Social democracy, social democratic political party in Turkey. It is the oldest List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal ...

from the

National Alliance National Alliance may refer to: Electoral alliances *National Alliance (Egypt) (2015) * National Alliance (Ireland) (2024 onwards) * National Alliance (Pakistan) (2002-2004) *Nation Alliance (Turkey) (2018-2023) Political parties and organizations ...

Early life and career

Kavaf was born July 1 1962. She graduated from the

Turkology Turkology (or Turcology or Turkic studies) is a complex of humanities sciences studying languages, history, literature, folklore, culture, and ethnology of people speaking Turkic languages and the Turkic peoples in chronological and comparative c ...

department of

Ankara University Ankara University () is a public university, public research university in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the History of the Republic of Turkey, formation of the Turkish republ ...

Language, History and Geography Faculty. She has worked as a teacher both in public and private schools for seven years. Her sister is Turkish politician Sema Ramazanoğlu.

Political career

Kavaf entered politics in 2002 after the foundation of Justice and Development Party. After the elections, Kavaf was promoted as the Founder General Presidency of Women's Branch of the Justice and Development Party. It is the first women organization of a Turkish political party in an institutional sense. In the

2007 Turkish general election General elections were held in Turkey on 22 July 2007 to elect 550 members to the Grand National Assembly. Originally scheduled for November, the elections were brought forward after parliament failed to elect a new president to replace Ah ...

, Kavaf was elected as a member of parliament. She is the first female MP from Denizli. On 1 May 2009, she was appointed as State Minister Responsible for Women and Family in the second cabinet of Erdoğan. She has stated that she opposes

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...

, in her own words: "I believe homosexuality is a biological disorder, a disease. It needs to be treated." Her remarks sparked controversy and were protested by anti-homophobia activists in Turkey.Activists protest Turkish minister's remarks about gays
" ''Hürriyet'', 15 April 2010. Kavaf is one of the founding members of

Ali Babacan Ali Babacan (; born 4 April 1967) is a Turkish politician, economist, and engineer. He is the founder and current leader of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA). He served 13 years as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Economy, Chie ...

's newly formed

Democracy and Progress Party The Democracy and Progress Party (, DEVA) is a Turkish political party founded on 9 March 2020 under the leadership of Ali Babacan, a former economy minister under the AKP. The official abbreviation is "DEVA" (''Remedy'' in Turkish) accordi ...

(DEVA). In the

she was elected in

for the

from the

quota. On January 8, 2025, she left the DEVA Party. On January 28, 2025, she rejoined the

External links

*
Selma Aliye Kavaf
– Official Website *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kavaf, Selma Aliye 1962 births Living people Deputies of Denizli Ankara University alumni Justice and Development Party (Turkey) politicians Democracy and Progress Party politicians People from Denizli Women government ministers of Turkey Government ministers of Turkey Members of the 23rd Parliament of Turkey 21st-century Turkish women politicians Ministers of state of Turkey Members of the 60th government of Turkey Deputies of Manisa Turkish women MPs Members of the 28th Parliament of Turkey