Ayen Grcan

Ayşen Gürcan, born in 1963 in Burdur, Turkey, is an academic and bureaucrat who served as the Minister of Family and Social Policy in the interim election government led by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu from August to November 2015. She was the first Turkish minister to wear a headscarf, marking a significant shift given Turkey's secular traditions.

Gürcan earned her education at Anadolu University, where she later taught and conducted research in educational sciences. She joined the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and was elected to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 2023. In her academic career, she focused on topics like educational communication and technology, publishing numerous works.

In her bureaucratic roles, she served as Undersecretary at the Ministry of Family and Social Policy from 2011 to 2013. She became Minister of Family and Social Policy in 2015 after the hung parliament led President Erdoğan to call an early election, forming an interim government where she was appointed despite her abroad location.

Gürcan faced controversy due to her tweets on topics like religious education and ISIL, which were deemed controversial by some. She later deleted her Twitter account after becoming a minister. Additionally, she faced professional challenges when she filed a complaint against Undersecretary Nesrin Çelik, leading to criticism from commentators close to President Erdoğan.

Her appointment was notable for breaking barriers in Turkey's political landscape, symbolizing changing norms in the country.