Skip to main content

Turkish press targets new first lady

Instead of focusing on the AKP's stances on women's rights issues, the secular press has vilified Sare Davutoglu, the prime minister's wife and a medical doctor.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his wife Sare Davutoglu greet their supporters during the Extraordinary Congress of the ruling AK Party (AKP) to choose a new leader of the party, ahead of his inauguration as president, in Ankara August 27, 2014. Davutoglu was elected leader of Turkey's ruling AK Party on Wednesday in a televised ceremony, ahead of his expected appointment as prime minister on Thursday after Tayyip Erdogan is sworn in as president.
  REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS

One Aug. 26 news article read, “Madrasa disciple Dr. Sare Davutoglu, MD, advocates fatwas in medicine.” This odd news was promptly picked up by other media outletsangry bloggers and shared on Twitter. All of these comments mocked the wife of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, some of them quite offensively. 

The “news” informed readers that Sare Davutoglu, a gynecologist, is popular among Islamist circles. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s daughter is one of her high profile patients. She practices medicine in her private clinic as well as at a hospital in Istanbul. So far, so good.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.