Recent Political Developments and the Problem of Equality of Turkish-Cypriots
Lecture by Doğuş Derya
27 June 2025 | 19:00
This lecture will explore recent political dynamics and their implications for the ongoing challenges related to the equality and status of Turkish-Cypriots. Broader themes and questions will be discussed in light of ongoing developments.
Doğuş Derya (born 1978, Nicosia) is a Turkish-Cypriot academic, feminist, and politician recognized for her leadership in gender equality, social justice, and democratic reform. She graduated from Istanbul University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations in 1999, where she made history as the first and only female president of the University Representative Council. She later completed her master’s in sociology at Boğaziçi University with a thesis exploring identity and marginalization, and earned her PhD from the University of Cyprus.
Derya has worked extensively in both civil society and public institutions. She contributed to the founding of the Gender Equality Mechanism in a government ministry and later served as an academic. She is the founder of the Gönyeli Municipality Social Activities Center and the feminist organization Feminist Atölye (FEMA), and has been a trainer in the Women’s Human Rights Education Program (KİHEP). Her writing focuses on post-colonialism, nationalism, feminism, and the Cyprus issue, and she has served on the editorial boards of Kıbrıs Yazıları and Gaile.
Elected to parliament in 2013 and re-elected in 2018 with the Republican Turkish Party, Derya has led significant legal reforms on gender equality, including modernization of the Penal Code, reform of family law, and the introduction of a 30% gender quota in political party candidate lists. Known for her principled stance on democratic values, inclusive politics, and human rights, Derya has been both a target of criticism and a symbol of progressive change in Cyprus.
This event is made possible with the support of The Hellenic Initiative Canada.
