Quick Facts
Biography
Ayla Akat Ata (born 16 February 1976) is a pro-Kurdish Zaza politician of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in Batman, Turkey.
Ata was born in Diyarbakır. Since graduating from the Faculty of Law at Dicle University in Diyarbakır, she has been working as a lawyer.
She is a member of the Turkish Human Rights Association (İHD).
In July 2007, she stood as an independent candidate in the Turkish parliamentary elections and entered the Turkish Parliament, joining the Democratic Society Party (DTP). She is now an MP for Batman.
In September 2007, she and Aysel Tuğluk were charged with “conducting propaganda for an outlawed organization” and “aiding and abetting a terrorist organization.”
She was a defense lawyer for Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the PKK.
After the Democratic Society Party was banned on 11 December 2009, she joined the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).
She was re-elected in the 12 June 2011 general election.
