German city names street after 1st Turkish female doctor

A German city paid honor to Safiye Ali, Turkey’s first female doctor, on Wednesday by naming a street and award after her.

The Turkish Consul General in Essen, Taylan Ozgur Aydin, attended the street naming ceremony in Dortmund and was joined by local administrators, representatives of political parties and non-governmental organizations who were informed of Dr. Ali’s life and legacy.

“Safiye Ali set an example for both Turkish and German society with her work in medicine and on women’s rights,” Emre Gulec, a member of the Dortmund City Council, told Anadolu.

He said the German city had located and begun reconstructing Dr. Ali’s grave two years ago, adding that an award was also named after her for her achievements in pediatrics.

Safiye Ali studied medicine at the University of Wurzburg during World War I and worked as a doctor in Germany during World War II. She died in 1952 at the age of 58 in Dortmund.