Lale Aytaman

Dr. Lale Aytaman was the governor of Muğla province in Turkey from 1991 to 1995 and the first female governor of Turkey.

Early life

Lale Aytaman finished St. George's Austrian High School (Avusturya Kız Lisesi) in Istanbul. She was an AFS-exchage student in 1962 in Phoenix, Arizona. She studied German literature at Istanbul University, then went to Hamburg in Germany, where she continued her studies and earned her Ph.D.

Career

She was a professor at Boğaziçi University and she became the first female governor of Turkey on 6 July 1991. She is still the only female governor in Turkey. She served as governor of Muğla Province from 1991 to 1995. She is well known for her engagement for the protection of the environment, cultural heritage, and promoting tourism in her region. She helped women for promoting their handicrafts. The MELSA (Muğla Handicrafts) project was created to preserve the traditional way of cotton and silk weaving. The University of Mugla, Turolian Park, and Iassos Museum were opened during her governorship.

She was head of the Turkish delegation to the CLREA (Congress for Local and Regional Authorities of Council of Europe) in 1995 when she was elected as an MP from the province of Muğla. She was a member of the Motherland Party (ANAP)] and a member of the Turkish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe and WEU (Western European Union).

She became the first Turkish parliamentarian at the Council of Europe who was elected as President of a Committee. She was president of the Committee for Environment, local and regional authorities. She prepared together with Sir John Hunt, the "Black Sea Report" at the WEU. [Turkish Daily News Online - [http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/archives.php?id=1620 "Still Short of Full Participation"] ]

She is an honorary member of Council of Europe. Lale Aytaman is married with retired ambassador Reha Aytaman and has one son, Osman Aytaman.

Notes

References

* Milliyet Newspaper Online - [http://www.milliyet.com.tr/1999/04/13/yazar/gungor.html "News on Lale Aytaman"]
* Habervitrini.com - [http://www.habervitrini.com/haber.asp?id=36328 "News on Lale Aytaman"]