Suat Berk | |
|---|---|
| Judge, Member of Ankara bar Association | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Suat Hilmi 2 April 1901 Istanbul, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | July 15, 2002 (aged 101) Bodrum, Muğla Province, Turkey |
| Spouse | Niyazi Ozman |
| Known for | First judge of Turkey |
Suat Berk (1901 – 15 July 2002) was the first female judge in Turkey.
She was born on 2 April 1901 in Istanbul. Her birth name was Suat Hilmi.[1] She graduated from the Law school of Istanbul University (then named Darülfunun ) . In 1925, she was appointed as a justice of the peace(magistrate) .[2] In 1933, she went to Berlin, Nazi Germany for doctorate studies. In 1951, she was elected as the member of Ankara Bar Association (Turkish: Baro).[3] She was the first female judge in Turkey. According to her son in 1925 when she was appointed as a judge, women judges were allowed to serve only in juvenile courts in many countries.[1]
After she retired from the public service, she continued as a lawyer of İşbank, Halkbank and Tekel.[1]
Private life
While in Berlin, she met Niyazi Ozman, a Turkish Navy officer n the rank of a captain, and married briefly to him. She had one son named Ahmet from this marriage.
She died in Bodrum, Muğla Province on 15 July 2002, and was buried in Bitez.[1]