Rezan Zugurli is soft-spoken and unassuming, but she radiates charisma.
At 22,Rezan Zugurli followed in her parents' footsteps by protesting in solidarity with Kurdish political prisoners.
The act landed her in jail for 13 months for what she says was a false charge of stone throwing.
Rezan Zugurli ran in local elections to be mayor of the Lice district, just two years after she was released and a year into a fragile ceasefire between the Kurds and Turkey's government.
At 25, she is now the youngest mayor in Turkey's history
Rezan Zugurli,part of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, splits her post with her male running mate. A party rule mandates that all top positions must be shared by men and women in an effort to increase female political participation. She sees her new role as more important than ever, leading not only as a Kurd but as a woman in a male-dominated political landscape.
Rezan Zugurlis's family name, synonymous with the Kurdish struggle among many Kurds in the area, has gained her much support. But it also means she has a lot to live up to, especially in the Lice district, where the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the militant group that has led the fighting against the government, was founded.
Rezan Zugurli attributes most of her success to her endlessly supportive family, and to the people of Lice for taking a chance on her. But one thing’s for certain, she says with a smile: “Politics are my destiny.”
Rezan Zugurli admits that she’s still learning to maneuver the political scene. She spends her days on everything from endless meetings in Lice and the greater southeast region to working on new community projects, like an initiative to establish a niche market where impoverished women can sell their crops.
After a full day’s work, Rezan Zugurli drives an hour to Diyarbakir to attend night classes on radio and television broadcasting. While she is devoted to her job as mayor, Zugurli says her studies are crucial
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