Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği (ÇYDD-The Association for Supporting Contemporary Life) has prepared a documentary film focusing on the life of the unforgettable President Türkan Saylan.

Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği (ÇYDD-The Association for Supporting Contemporary Life) has
prepared a documentary film focusing on the life of the unforgettable President Türkan Saylan.
A gift from ÇYDD for the 100th anniversary of the Republic: "Türkan: The Story of a Scientist
Woman
The title of the documentary film produced by journalist and writer Özlem Özdemir is Türkan: The
Story of a Scientist Woman. The film is described as a special gift for the 100th anniversary of the
Republic.
ÇYDD, especially with the purpose to provide hope for girls on the 100th anniversary of the Republic,
prepared a documentary together with journalist and writer Özlem Özdemir about the scientific
work of their unforgettable President Türkan Saylan who devoted her life to the public. The director
of the documentary is Atilla Alicikoğlu. The film brings to fore Türkan Saylan's contributions to the
world of science and her fight against leprosy. The first screening of the documentary, which was
produced after an intensive research and production process was held on Wednesday, December
13, 2023 on Türkan Saylan's birthday, at 19:00 at the Türkan Saylan Cultural Center in Maltepe.
Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel: Türkan Saylan was a scientist who loved the Republic 
Making a statement about the documentary, ÇYDD President Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel said that Türkan
Saylan adhered to the values of the Republic throughout her life and for this reason, the
documentary was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic. Prof. Yüksel continued to say,
The Republic was a women's revolution. The struggle of our women became the key to liberation.
Türkan Saylan was first and foremost a scientist who loved the Republic. She was a woman who
grew up with the opportunities provided by the Republic and worked throughout her life to pay her
debt to the Republic. Therefore, it is of great importance for us that this documentary was prepared
for the 100th anniversary of our Republic. On this occasion, I would like to reassert that Saylan’s
work, her thoughts, her struggle continue to illuminate our path. Türkan Saylan isn’t with us
physically but she is still in our lives with her ideas. We will continue to unite around her ideas and
continue our work by embracing her thoughts. I would like to thank especially the producer Özlem
Özdemir and everyone who contributed to the creation of this valuable documentary.’’
Özlem Özdemir: Türkan Saylan's contributions are countless
Journalist and writer Özlem Özdemir, who pioneered the idea and produced the documentary,
underlined that Türkan Saylan is a very important name for the public. She said, "Türkan Saylan is
first and foremost a woman and a very valuable scientist. This documentary actually gives voice to
her to be properly understood. Türkan Saylan is an extraordinary woman who loved her country
very much, put an end to leprosy in this country, ensured that girls are educated, and who devoted
her whole life to the development of this country. If she had lived in any other country, countless

books, documentaries and films would have been produced about her. As a writer who has been
writing about pioneering women of the Republic for years, I have written about Türkan Saylan many
times so that young people can get to know her better and look up to her as a role model. I also
thought that she should be described as a woman in addition to her intellectual accomplishments.
When I asked myself how I could reach more people when narrating about her work, I decided to
make a documentary. We started working on the film a year ago and I am proud to present this
documentary about the life of a woman in the Republic era to our people on the 100th anniversary
of our Republic. I hope that Türkan Saylan's life achievements will contribute to reaching out to and
inspiring young people in particular. I would like to thank ÇYDD President Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel and
the entire management of ÇYDD for their enthusiasm in bringing this documentary to life.