Fatma Şahin is a Turkish politician and bureaucrat. She is one of Türkiye’s first female mayors of metropolitan municipalities and served as the founding Minister of Family and Social Policies in the 61st Government of the Republic of Türkiye, established in 2011. She has held the position of Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality for three terms. Additionally, she has undertaken important international roles including President of the Turkish Municipalities Union, member of the OECD Champion Mayors Forum, and member of the United Nations Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governance.

Youth and Education

Fatma Şahin was born in Gaziantep in 1966. She spent her childhood and youth in the city, completing her primary, secondary, and high school education there. She later graduated from the Department of Chemistry and Metallurgy at Istanbul Technical University.

Career and Achievements

Şahin began her professional career in the private sector, working as a Business Engineer and Business Manager at a company.

In 2001, she became a founding member of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Gaziantep.

In the 2002 general elections, she was elected as a member of parliament from Gaziantep, becoming the city’s first female parliamentarian.

She served during the 22nd, 23rd and 24th legislative terms of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. During this period, she held the following positions:

• Member of the Industry, Trade and Energy Committee,
• Member of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee,
• Chairperson of the Commission on Research into Violence Against Women and Children.

Following the 2011 elections, she served as the founding Minister of Family and Social Policies in the 61st Government. In this role, she became Türkiye’s first female minister from the Southeastern Anatolia Region.

In the 2014 local elections, she was elected Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, becoming one of Türkiye’s first female mayors of a metropolitan municipality.

She was re-elected in the 2019 and 2024 elections and continues to serve in this position.

Notable Achievements

• 2011: Named “Woman of the Year” by the Turkish Foundation for Disabled Persons.
• 2014: Elected Vice President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).
• 2016–2019: President of the Asian Mayors Forum, Vice President of UCLG, and President of UCLG-MEWA.
• 2018–2023: President of the Turkish Municipalities Union.
• 2021: Became the first Turkish mayor selected for the OECD Champion Mayors Initiative.
• 2021: Awarded the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Prize.
• 2021: Under an EBRD initiative, Gaziantep was declared a “Green City”.
• 2023: Appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as a member of the UN Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governance.
• 2024: Named “Fair Play Mother” by the Turkish National Olympic Committee.

Key Works and Contributions

Contributions

• Social Policies: As founding Minister of Family and Social Policies, she led major social policy initiatives focused on women, children and persons with disabilities.
• Environment and Urban Planning: Pioneered sustainable urban development by securing Gaziantep’s designation as a “Green City”.
• International Representation: Represented Türkiye on international platforms including the OECD, UCLG and CEMR.

Projects and Initiatives

• Gaziantep Green City Project,
• Programs to Combat Violence Against Women and Children,
• Social Projects for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Personal Life

She is married and the mother of two children.