'Türkan' conquers pop culture with a biopic

Having devoted her life to battling leprosy and promoting girls’ education in Turkey, the late Türkan Saylan’s final days were a trying affair following a much-publicized police raid on her home. Now, following a short-lived TV series on her life, a feature film about the activist’s unflinching persona as a fighter is set to hit screens across the country

It sounds quite far-fetched to see a girl who was about to fall victim to an honor killing in southeastern Turkey turn up years later as a representative of UNICEF, or someone suffering from leprosy become a nurse. But perhaps it is even more far-fetched to see that one woman was responsible for these and hundreds of similar stories.

That woman is Türkan Saylan, the leading character in a short-lived TV series, and now, a feature film. That woman, however, is not a fictitious character; instead, she is arguably the equivalent of Mother Theresa for modern Turkey.

A university professor and a doctor specializing in leprosy, Saylan battled the disease for decades. She was also the founder of a secularist association devoted to educational grants for girls from the poorer areas of Turkey. Throughout the years, her name became synonymous with the Association for the Support for Contemporary Living Association, or ÇYDD.

Click here for full article (Hürriyet Daily News)