With Nihat Erim's appointment of Türkan Akyol as the Minister of Health and Social Assistance in the 33rd Government of Turkey, which was established on March 26, 1971, a woman took part in the government as a minister for the first time. Since Akyol became a minister, 28 different women have served as ministers in the cabinet of the Turkish government 43 times. The ministry to which women were most appointed was the Ministry of State with 15 appointments. With the abolition of the Ministry of State in 2011, Selma Aliye Kavaf became the last female minister of state. The Ministry of State was followed by the Ministry of Family and Social Services, which operates under different names, with 10 appointments.
While the first two female ministers in the cabinet were elected from outside the parliament, all the remaining female ministers, except Aysel Çelikel, Beril Dedeoğlu, Ayşen Gürcan, Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, Ruhsar Pekcan, Derya Yanık and Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, were elected from within the parliament. In terms of parties, the Justice and Development Party was the party that produced the most number of female ministers with 10 different ministers, followed by the Social Democratic Populist Party and True Path Party with three different ministers each. The government that provided the most female ministers was the 54th government with 4 female ministers. In this government; Tansu Çiller served as both prime minister and foreign minister, Meral Akşener as interior minister, and Ayfer Yılmaz and Işılay Saygın as ministers of state. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became the president who appointed the most female ministers by appointing women to ministries 7 times, followed by Tansu Çiller and Necmettin Erbakan with five appointments each.
While Tayyibe Gülek became the youngest person to be elected as a minister to the 57th Turkish Government at the age of 34, Aysel Çelikel became the oldest woman to be elected as a minister to the same government at the age of 68. İmren Aykut; became the woman who served in the most governments by being a minister in the cabinets of the 46th, 47th, 48th, 53rd, and 55th Turkish Governments. Similarly, Işılay Saygın; became the woman who served in the most governments by being a minister in the cabinets of the 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th, and 55th Turkish Governments. Nimet Baş became the woman who has served as a minister for the longest time. She served as minister for 6 years and 4 days. In the first part of her ministry period, Baş served as the minister of state responsible for women and family, and later as the minister of national education.
On August 28, 2015, Ayşen Gürcan became the first headscarved minister.
The first female ministers of the , which started to be implemented as of July 9, 2018, were Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk and Ruhsar Pekcan.
Türkân Akyol, the first female minister of health; Hayriye Ayşe Nermin Neftçi, the first female minister of culture and tourism; İmren Aykut, the first female minister of family and social services and the first female minister of state; Işılay Saygın, the first female minister of environment, urbanization and climate change; Tansu Çiller, the first female foreign minister; Meral Akşener, the first female minister of interior; Nimet Baş became the first female minister of national education and Beril Dedeoğlu became the first female European Union minister.
Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, who was appointed as the minister of family and social services in the 67th Government of Turkey established on June 4, 2023, continues to serve as the only female minister today.
History
The first female ministers (1971–1991)
First female minister
From the 1st Government of Turkey, which was established on October 30, 1923, to the 32nd Government of Turkey, which ended on March 26, 1971,"ERİM KABİNESİNİN BAKANLARI BELLİ OLDU" Milliyet 26 March 1971 no woman served as a minister in the Turkish government. After the 32nd government was forced to resign with the March 12 Memorandum, those who published this memorandum assigned CHP's Nihat Erim to form the new government as the "impartial prime minister". Thereupon, Erim appointed Türkan Akyol"Erim: "Kabinem beyin takımı olacak"". Milliyet. 24 March 1971. p. 1. as the minister of health and social assistance, upon the request of Sadi Koçaş, to the new government he established on March 26, 1971, in which he said "My cabinet will be a think tank""Türkiye'de ilk defa bir kadın oluyor" Milliyet 24 March 1971, p 9 and "I will work with young minds". Thus, Akyol became the first female minister of the Republic of Türkiye. According to Erim, Akyol was appointed not only because she was a woman, but also to prove the results of Atatürk's reforms."Erim: "Kabinem beyin takımı olacak" Milliyet 24 March 1971, p 9 Ten days after taking office, ten ministers, including Akyol, submitted their resignations to Erim, but the resignation did not take place when Erim backed down. Later, on December 2, 11 ministers, including Akyol, submitted their resignations to Erim. The next day, Erim deemed it appropriate to present the resignation of the entire government to President Cevdet Sunay, "instead of accepting the resignations of the ministers who requested their resignations and continuing their duties." On the same day, Sunay accepted the resignation of the government and the 33rd Government ended after continuing its duty for about a week until the new government was established. Akyol's duty ended with the government.
First female culture minister There were no female ministers in the four governments that followed Akyol's government. With the 38th Government established on November 17, 1974, Hayriye Ayşe Nermin Neftçi was appointed as the minister of culture in the cabinet and became the first female minister of culture. She was also Turkey's second minister of culture after Talât Sait Halman.İpekçi, Abdi (20 January 1975). "Her Hafta Bir Sohbet, Bu haftaki konumuz: Kültür Bakanlığı, Konuğumuz: Nermin Neftçi". Milliyet. p. 9. (in Turkish) In the vote held in the parliament on November 29, 1974, the government could not collect enough votes of confidence"Irmak istifa etti". Milliyet. 30 December 1974. p. 1. and could only survive for 4 months and 14 days. After Neftçi's ministry, there was the longest period in which female ministers did not take office since the proclamation of the republic. There have been no female ministers in seven governments since the last government.
First elected female minister and first female Minister of Labor and Social Security A female minister found a place in the government again when Turgut Özal appointed İmren Aykut,"Başbakan Özal, 24 üyeli Bakanlar Kurulu'nu açıkladı, liberal ağırlıklı hükümet". Milliyet. 22 December 1987. p. 1 who joined the party upon his invitation, as the Minister of Labor and Social Security in the 46th Government he established on December 21, 1987. In addition to being the first woman to be appointed as a minister in this branch, Aykut also became the first female minister who was elected and not independent."İmren Aykut'un sevinci". Milliyet. 22 December 1987. p. 8. Aykut, who remained in office until the end of this government, continued her ministry position in the next government."Muhafazakar ağırlıklı hükümet". Milliyet. 10 November 1989. p. 13. Thus, she became the first woman to be a minister for two consecutive terms.
Establishment of the Ministry of State for Women, first female prime minister period (1991–1996) On April 20, 1990, the was established within the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Later, the institution was affiliated with the Prime Ministry on 23 June 1991."Kurulun bağlı olduğu bakanlığın değiştirilmesi ile ilgili işlem" Resmî Gazete. 23 June 1991 (in Turkish) On the same day that the institution was affiliated with the Prime Ministry, the 48th Government was established and İmren Aykut was appointed as the Minister of State in this government, gaining a place in the government for the third time in a row."Bakanlık savaşı". Milliyet. 23 June 1991. p. 1. Aykut was given the duties of General Directorate of , General Directorate of Anadolu Agency, General Directorate of Women's Status and Problems, and also became both the government spokesperson and the Minister of State Responsible for Women."Devlet bakanları görev bölüştü". Milliyet. 28 June 1991. p. 13. As a result of the 1991 elections, she gained a place in the parliament, but remained outside the government that followed."Kazananlar ve kazanamayanlar". Milliyet. 22 October 1991. p. 14. On November 9, 1991, Süleyman Demirel said that "a series of ministries, including the Ministry of Women", would be opened.Akdemir, İhsan (9 November 1991). ""Kabine Perşembeye hazır"". Milliyet. p. 15. When Demirel appointed Güler İleri and Tansu Çiller as Ministers of State in the new government he formed, for the first time, two women were in the cabinet as ministers at the same time."Türkiye'nin 49. Demirel'in 7. hükümeti kuruldu, görev başladı". Milliyet. 21 November 1991. p. 1. Çiller became Minister of State for Economy,"Hükümetlerde "kadın" krizi". Milliyet. 4 August 1994. p. 14."Bazı bakanlıklar ayrılıyor". Milliyet. 13 November 1991. p. 16"Liderlerin kafasındaki bakanlar". Milliyet. 18 November 1991. p. 17 and İleri became Minister of State for Women and Family."1992 özgürlük yılı". Milliyet. 6 January 1992. p. 2 While Çiller was responsible from Germany, France and Japan, İleri was responsible from Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania."Bakanların "ülkeleri" belli oldu". Milliyet. 13 January 1992. p. 5. İleri resigned from her post on February 22, 1992, following a vote of no confidence in her for covering her personal expenses from the budget allocated to the ministry."İleri, istifa etti". Milliyet. 22 February 1992. y. 11"İleri gitti, kriz bitti". Milliyet. 23 February 1992. p. 1. After the resignation of İleri, the first female minister, Türkan Akyol, was appointed to the vacant Ministry of State for Women and Family."Akyol, devlet bakanı". Milliyet. 5 March 1992. p. 14. Çiller and Akyol continued their duties until the end of the period. Thus, three different women served as ministers in the 49th Government.
First female prime minister term