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One woman's journey from prisoner to mayor

Diyarbakir Mayor Gultan Kisanak is among thousands of activists who served time in Diyarbakir prison after the coup in 1980, and like many she was tortured for refusing to renounce her Kurdish identity.
Gulten Kisanak, the Peace and Democracy party candidate campaigning to be Mayor of Diyarbakir, speaks with journalists after casting her ballot in Diyarbakir on March 30, 2014, during municipal elections in Turkey ahead of a presidential vote in six months and parliamentary polls next year. Turkey's Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, embattled by protests and corruption scandals, faced a crucial popularity test today when over 50 million eligible voters cast their ballots in local elections. More than 50 million

Gultan Kisanak is the first female mayor of the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, which is widely seen as the unofficial capital of Turkey’s Kurds. Kisanak is among thousands of political activists who served time in Diyarbakir prison after the Turkish army’s coup in 1980. Like many, she was tortured for refusing to renounce her Kurdish identity. Prior to being elected mayor last year, Kisanak was a member of parliament for the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party.

Kisanak spoke to Al-Monitor about life as a woman in the Kurdish movement.

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