Demet Sekercioglu, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Sri Lanka and Maldives is a role model to women. She is beautiful elegant and graceful, and demonstrates an inner strength that resonate with the celebration of all women on International Women’s Day. Her affinity to diplomatic service was probably influenced by her father who himself was a diplomatAmbassador was born in 1969 in Bonn/Germany. She graduated from the Department of Economics of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Ankara University in 1995. After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey in 1995, she assumed duties at the Turkish Embassy in Rabat, Brussels, Kuwait and Islamabad as well as at the Turkish General Consulate in Lyon throughout her professional career. She served in the Directorate General of Consular Affairs, Europe and lately South Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey.

I consider March 8th, International Women’s Day as an opportunity for a global observance to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and the progress made in advancing gender equality around the world. However, it is also a day for acknowledging the work that still needs to be done to ensure that women are treated fairly and have equal opportunities in all aspects of life.

International Women’s Day is a reminder that gender equality is not only a women’s issue but a human rights issue that affects us all. It provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that women face and to promote greater gender parity and inclusivity in our communities, workplaces, and societies.

Role of women in Türkey?

Turkey has a long history for promoting equal opportunities for both men and women. From early on, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of our nation, recognized the importance of women in the development of a society. With the establishment of the Republic, Turkish women were bestowed with several political rights including the right to vote and be elected in municipal elections in 1930, the right to elect and be elected as a Mukhtar in 1933, and finally the right to vote and be elected in general elections in 1934. Notably, these rights were granted well ahead of many European countries.

Women inTurkey have legal rights to education, employment, and political participation. Although the majority of the Turkish people are Muslims, it is worth mentioning that Sharia Law is not applicable in Turkey Every Turkish citizen, regardless of gender and belief, is required to abide by the same laws. Secularism is enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey. Furthermore, women are also protected by laws against gender-based violence and discrimination.

Turkish women are present in every aspect of life and have made notable contributions to the country’s economy, politics, and culture. Turkey’s labour force, particularly in the service sector and in small and medium-sized businesses. Women also hold positions of power in government, business, and civil society organizations, although their representation in these areas still lags behind that of men. They are massively present in academia.

Overall, while Turkish women have made progress in advancing their rights and opportunities, there is still work to be done to ensure full gender equality and address the challenges that they continue to face.

Are women fully represented in Turkish Parliament?

While there have been significant strides toward greater representation of women in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT), it is difficult to say that women are yet fully represented in the National Assembly.

As of the most recent general election in 2018, women held 17.3% of the seats in the GNAT, with 103 women out of 600 members. This was an increase from the 14.7% of seats held by women after the previous general election in 2015.

Traditional gender roles and cultural attitudes toward women’s political participation are the main factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in the National Assembly. However, efforts are underway to increase women’s representation in politics in Turkey, including the implementation of gender quotas for political parties and the development of programs to support women’s political participation.

 Women’s rights and gender equality in Turkey in comparison to other countries comment?

The response to your question will depend on the angle from which you approach the issue. Which countries do you compare Turkey with? Even more: which sector do you compare?

In comparison to many countries in her region, Turkey is much more advanced in terms of gender equality. According to the European Commission’s “She Figures 2021” report comparing the state of gender equality in research and innovation, Turkey is also ahead of some European countries in some fields. For example, the proportion of women among doctoral graduates is 46.9% in Turkey and 48.1% in the EU-27, while the ratio is lower in some European countries. While the proportion of self-employed women scientists, engineers, and ICT professionals is 21.86% in Turkey 24.87% in the EU-27, the proportion of women researchers is 37.03% in Turkey and 32.83% in the EU-27, and the proportion of women among heads of institutions in the higher education sector is much higher in Turkey at 28.0% when compared to 23.6% in the EU-27 and other European countries.

However, we have to recognize that there are still significant barriers that limit opportunities for women, including traditional gender roles, cultural attitudes towards women, and unequal access to resources and opportunities. Therefore, Turkey continues to implement a number of laws and policies aimed at improving women’s rights and promoting gender equality.

Obviously, there is a direct correlation between the economic independence of women and their social and political status.In terms of economic empowerment, women in Turkey are increasingly entering the labour force and participating in entrepreneurship. Women have also made strides in education, with an increasing number of women pursuing higher education.

Progress has also been made in terms of political empowerment, particularly in their representation in local government. However, women are still underrepresented in national politics. As I expressed earlier, women only hold 17.3% of seats in the Grand National Assembly.

Although progress was made towards the economic and political empowerment of women thanks to legal and policy reforms aimed at promoting gender equality, increased access to education and training, and the efforts of women’s rights organizations and activists, barriers still exist due to cultural attitudes towards women’s roles and limited access to resources and opportunities.

Violence against women is it rampant in Turkey?

It appears that progress in advancing women’s rights goes hand in hand with the economic and social development of countries. As such, Turkey efforts towards sustainable development, eradicating poverty, and increasing support for marginalized and disadvantaged sections of society, including women and girls, reflect considerable progress in advancing women’s rights over the last 15 years.

  Turkey has made important legal and policy reforms and built a solid legal framework to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Four national action plans and specialized initiatives, including the emergency support mobile phone app have been put in place.

However, it has to be recognized that although women live in different geographies and conditions, they are exposed to almost similar forms of violence. Violence against women is not only a problem of our time, it existed in the past and is likely to remain in the future.

Therefore, apart from the economic empowerment of women, I also consider it paramount that girls and boys are educated on gender equality from a young age, and that this education begins within the family. In this regard, mothers have a great role to play in the education of boys, in particular.

Gender equality and Women’s empowerment in Turkey comment?

Despite being among the first women in Europe and the region to achieve the right to vote and run for parliamentarian seats and having a strong legal framework as well as many policies for the economic and political empowerment of women, there is still work to be done to address the systemic barriers and cultural attitudes that limit gender equality.

Beginning by educating the minds of both girls and boys at their younger ages seems like the most effective way to tackle the issue.  Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so how did you overcome them?

In Turkey one of the institutions that caters the training of top female bureaucrats is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey , of which I am proud to be a member.  A diplomat is regarded as a diplomat and there is no such thing as a man or woman diplomat. Moreover, there is no distinction based on gender, difficult/easy geography, or post-harrowing circumstances when Ministry members are appointed abroad.  Similarly there is no salary difference between male and female diplomats. Primary criteria is the ability to do our duties in the country we are deployed to. This uniformity is also evident when looking at the countries I have previously served and the topics I was in charge while I was at the headquarters.

It is noteworthy to mention that Foreign Minister H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu considerably supports women diplomats to reach higher positions in the Ministry. There has been a notable increase in the number of female Ambassadors and Consul Generals abroad and Deputy Director Generals and Director Generals at the headquarter during his term as the Foreign Minister.

Unfortunately on the other side, there are certain individuals who are still against seeing women rising to greater positions in any society, whether they do it covertly or out in the open. I see education as a powerful tool and one thing that must be prioritized if this mentality is to vanish.

Finally, it should also be noted that the appointment of my distinguished colleague Ambassador Hasanthi Dissanayake to Ankara and my own appointment to Colombo both demonstrates the value placed on women in both countries.

Your stay in Sri Lanka. What do you like most in Sri Lanka?

Since taking office as the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey o Sri Lanka at the beginning of 2020, I have been unable to explore the beauty of Sri Lanka as much as I would have loved to, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficult times that Sri Lanka faced last year.

However, those factors did not restrict me from enjoying the parks and green spaces in the city of Colombo, which is one thing that I like the most about Sri Lanka. Even though Colombo is a very small city compared to other capitals and economic centres in the world, the city has well preserved its natural charm with lush landscapes in the midst of busy corporate spaces.

One thing I like in particular are the beautiful residential spaces in Colombo, especially around Colombo 7, where there are houses built with beautiful gardens, which is also very rare to see in other urban landscapes in the world.

Apart from her beauty, the hospitality of the Sri Lankan people is second to none. The warm and friendly nature of the people, as well as their always smiling faces, top my list of things I like best about Sri Lanka.

 Sri Lanka Turkish relations comment?

We have close relations in the political, economic, and people-to-people spheres. The government to government ties between our two countries have also been very cordial. Turkey and Sri Lanka have consistently supported each other in international fora and candidatures thanks to our excellent diplomatic relations dating back to 1868.

As far as our economic relations are concerned, the trade volume between the two countries stands at around USD 200 million, with enough potential to grow. I am pleased to see that Turkish business people, after three years of absence, are again exploring opportunities in Sri Lanka. Daily flights of our national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) since 2013 are a great advantage to enhance our people-to-people ties and facilitate trade.

Turkey and Sri Lanka have stood by each other during their critical times and shown solidarity when in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been one of the few airlines to continue to fly to Sri Lanka and has contributed to the Sri Lankan economy by transporting its export goods to the world market.

The visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, then Prime Minister of Turkey, to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the 2005 Tsunami was a significant moment in our bilateral relations as it provided an opportunity to stand by the Sri Lankan people.

Our friendly relations were also evident during the recent devastating earthquakes in Turkey The government of Sri Lanka immediately expressed its solidarity and handed out a consignment of Ceylon tea to help the victims alleviate harsh winter conditions. Friendly people of Sri Lanka also came forward and made cash as well as in-kind donations to support victims of earthquakes. We are grateful for the material and moral support of the Sri Lankan government and people.

2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the independence of Sri Lanka, the centennial of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey , the 75th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of Sri Lanka by Turkey and the tenth  anniversary of the opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Colombo. We are looking forward to further strengthening our relations with Sri Lanka, which we consider a valuable friend and a reliable partner.