Februniye Akyol
Fabronia Benno
Co-mayor of Mardin
In office
2014–2016
Co-mayorAhmet Türk
Personal details
Born1988 (age 35–36)
Turkey
Alma materMardin Artuklu University
OccupationPolitician

Februniye Akyol (Christian name: Fabronia Benno[1]) is an Syriac-Assyrian[2][3] politician and was co-mayor of Mardin. She is a part of the Syriac Orthodox Church,[4] and thus the first Christian woman to lead one of Turkey's 30 metropolitan municipalities.[5]

Early life and education

Born to a silversmith and baptized as Fabronia Benno she studied the Assyrian language at the Artuklu University in Mardin.[1] While she was still studying at the University pursuing her master's degree, she was asked by politicians of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) to become a candidate for the mayorship of Mardin together with the Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk.[1] It was the imprisoned Abdullah Öcalan who suggested that a female Syriac should run for the co-mayorship in Mardin.[1] She first had doubts due to the Kurdish role in the Armenian and Assyrian genocides but Türk, who as one of the first Kurds who apologized to the Armenian and Assyrian communities, eventually compelled her to run.[1]

Political career

Akyol had to run for office with the Turkish name Februniye Akyol, due to long-standing limitations for the cultures and languages of ethnic and religious minorities in Turkey.[1] Assyrians are not recognized as a Turkish religious minority, nor are they permitted to teach the Syriac language.[1] The Turkish constitution prohibits the use of languages other than Turkish in both public and private schools.[1] Put forward as a candidate by the BDP two months before the elections,[1] she was elected co-mayor in the municipal elections on the 30 March 2014.[1] The BDP splits all top posts between a man and a woman to boost female participation in politics.[6] On the 17 November 2016 she and Ahmet Türk were dismissed as the Co-Mayors of Mardin.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Güsten, Susanne (14 April 2014). "Mardin elects 25-year old Christian woman as mayor". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Februniye Akyol ist die erste aramäische Großstadtbürgermeisterin in Mardin" [Februniye Akyol is the first female Aramaic mayor in Mardin]. ARAMEAN YOUTH UNION - Junge Aramäische Union (in German). 2 April 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Vardar, Nilay (26 March 2014). "Mardin Adayı: Süryaniler Şaşkın ve Mutlu" [Mardin Candidate: Assyrians Are Confused and Happy]. Bianet (in Turkish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  4. ↑ Kruse, Niels (16 April 2014). "25, Christin - und Bürgermeisterin in Südanatolien" [25, Christian - and mayor in Southern Anatolia]. stern.de (in German). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Mardin elects 25-year old Christian woman as mayor - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  6. 1 2 Yücel, Deniz (20 November 2016). ""Kein Platz für Menschen, die anders sind"" ["No place for people who are different"]. Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
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