Türkiye's Top Administrative Court Picks Female Chief for Second Senior Bench Led by a Woman

Judges on Türkiye's Council of State elected Sumru Cortoglu, 63, to lead the high administrative tribunal on Tuesday, making her the second woman to head one of the country's four most senior courts.

The milestone follows last year's appointment of Tulay Tugcu as the first female president of the Constitutional Court, Türkiye's highest judicial body.

Women have held prominent public roles in Türkiye since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk extended voting rights to them in 1934, ahead of many European nations. In cities, women work as fighter pilots and football referees, yet patriarchal customs remain strong in parts of the country.

Tansu Ciller remains the only woman to have served as prime minister, holding the office from 1993 to 1996. At present, just one woman sits in the cabinet and roughly 20 of the 550 parliamentary seats are held by women.

As a predominantly Muslim but constitutionally secular state seeking European Union membership, Türkiye faces ongoing calls to strengthen women's rights.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.