[Discussion] * Modernity and Islam: Turkish Women's Experience*

[Gonul Pultar]

*Harvard Club of Washington DC*
tel: 202-337-1300
fax: 202-318-8686
info@harvard-dc.org <mailto:info@harvard-dc.org>

* Modernity and Islam: Turkish Women's Experience*
Date: 12/1/2003
Time: 6:00-8:00 p (Monday)
Location: Embassy of Turkey, 2525 Massachusetts Ave, NW
This program received rave reviews when presented at:
Meridian International Center and THIS, October 24 2002; George 
Washington University Club, November 20, 2002; and American Turkish 
Council-American Friends of Turkey Convention, March 19, 2003.

There will also be a silent auction of handicrafts representing the 
diverse artistic traditions of the Turkish people. Items included are 
silver, ceramics, textiles and silver. The beneficiary of the auction is 
a School for the Blind in southern Turkey, a favorite charity of Mrs. 
Logoglu and the Turkish Women's Association.

Modernity and Islam: Turkish Women's Experience A Panel Presentation

This program outlines the evolution of women’s roles and rights in 
modern Turkey. The sweeping reforms of Turkey’s founder Kemal Ataturk in 
the 1920s and 1930s provided Turkish women with certain rights that were 
not yet enjoyed by women in Europe and the U.S. Turkish women’s 
experience in a majority Muslim, and at the same time secular and 
democratic country, could have valuable lessons to other Muslim majority 
countries.

Program

Welcome and Opening Remarks:

Mrs. Mevhibe Logoglu, wife of the Turkish Ambassador
Mrs. Gulden Saribas, wife of the Turkish Deputy Chief of Mission
Panel Presentation
Moderator: Oya Bain
Capital Region Vice President, Assembly of Turkish American Associations 
(ATAA)
AN OVERVIEW: Zeyno Baran
Director, International Security and Energy Programs
Nixon Center
ATATURK'S REFORMS: Filiz Odabas-Geldiay, Vice President, Ataturk Society 
of America
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Tulin Daloglu, Journalist, Turkish Star TV
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Dr. Engin Inel Holmstrom, Sociologist
Question and Answer Session
Refreshments
Program will include handouts.

SHORT BIOS OF THE SPEAKERS (in speaking order):

Oya Bain was born and raised in Turkey. After graduating from American 
College for Girls in Istanbul, she came to the U.S as a Fulbright 
scholar to do graduate work in Biochemistry. She worked as a Clinical 
Chemist and Laboratory Director in the Clinical Pathology laboratories 
of several medical centers in Canada and the US. In 1998, she retired 
from her position as the Laboratory Director from Georgetown University 
Medical Center.
Mrs. Bain has been an active member of the Turkish American community 
since 1970s. Currently she is the Capital Region Vice President of the 
Assembly of Turkish American Associations, ATAA. (ATAA is an umbrella 
organization which includes 57 Turkish American associations in the US, 
Canada and Turkey). She is a board member of American Turkish Assocation 
of Washington DC (ATA-DC) and the co-editor of ATANews, a monthly 
publication of ATA-DC and a frequent contributor to Turkish Times, a 
publication of ATAA. In addition to ATA-DC, she serves on the boards of 
Ataturk Society of America (ASA), Washington Turkish Women's Association 
(WTWA), and serves as a liaison among various local associations and ATAA.

Zeyno Baran was born and raised in Turkey. After graduating from the 
Austrian high school in Istanbul, she attended Stanford University and 
received her BA in Political Science and her MA in international 
economic development. Her work on the compatibility of Islam and 
democracy received the Firestone Medal for Stanford's most outstanding 
political science/international relations honors thesis in 1996. She has 
also taught verbal and physical self-defense for women, and provided 
psychological peer counseling.
Currently she the director of International Security and Energy Programs 
at the Nixon Institute. Previously she was the director of the Caucasus 
Project and fellow with the Russian and Eurasian Program at the Center 
for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In that capacity she 
frequently published CSIS policy briefs, articles in the U.S. and 
Turkish newspapers and journals. Her area of expertise is in Eurasian 
political, economic and social issues, ranging from Caspian Sea region 
energy development to human smuggling across the region.

Filiz Odabas-Geldiay was born and raised in Turkey. She studied English 
and Economics at St. Aldates College in Oxford, UK. She received her 
B.A. in International Relations and M.A in Communications and Conflict 
Management, both from the American University in Washington DC.
Currently she is with the International Association for Human Values. 
Prior to that, she was the Washington correspondent for Turkish daily 
Hurriyet newspaper and has also published articles in the US newspapers 
and magazines. In 1986, she established World Children's Day Foundation 
and as its executive director worked with UNICEF to mobilize 4 million 
children in 140 countries to help the needy in their communities. As a 
result, she was awarded Capitol Hero Award from the American University 
and was nominated for People Who Make a Difference Award by the Helena 
Rubinstein Inc. She is Vice President of the Ataturk Society of America.

Tulin Daloglu was born and raised in Turkey. She graduated from TED 
Ankara College and received her B.A. and M.A. in International 
Relations, both from Bilkent University in Turkey. She also holds 
another MA degree on Media Law from the American University in 
Washington, DC. She started TV journalism at NTV - a Turkish news 
channel, in Ankara, Turkey. In short time, she moved to BBC as a 
reporter and producer covering terrorism related issues. For the last 
four years she is working as the Washington correspondent of STAR TV, a 
Turkish TV channel. In the Turkish general elections of November 2002, 
she ran as a candidate for the Turkish Parliament from the city of 
Kayseri, as a front runner from the New Turkey Party.

Dr. Engin Inel Holmstrom, Ph.D, was born and raised in Turkey. Following 
her graduation from the American College for Girls in Istanbul, she came 
to Duke University on a Fulbright scholarship and received her MA and 
PhD degrees in Sociology. After settling in Washington area in 1968 and 
teaching at various universities, she moved into the area of social 
policy research. She has over 50 publications dealing with higher 
education issues, women's rights, and health professions training. She 
has also been active in the Turkish American community, editing the 
local Turkish-American association's newsletter for 16 years as well as 
serving as its president for three terms.