Hüseyin Olan Explained

Hüseyin Olan (born 1959, Bitlis, Turkey) is a pharmacist and politician of the Green Left Party (YSP). Olan is a former mayor of Bitlis and since June 2023, a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

Early life and professional career

Hüseyin Olan was born in Bitlis in 1959[1] where he also attended high school.[2] The Olan studied pharmacy at the Ege University in Izmir, from where he graduated in 1986. Following he worked as a pharmacist in Bitlis. From 2001 onwards, Olan became involved in the Chamber of Phramcists and was also a member of the Central Committee of the Pharmacists Union.

Political career

Hüseyin Olan was involved in several pro-Kurdish parties from the People's Democracy Party (HADEP) onwards. Having joined the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), he was elected the mayor of Bitlis in local elections of March 2014.[3] Under his mayorship, several streets were renamed, one of them after William Saroyan whose Armenian ancestors stemmed from Bitlis.[4] In November 2016, Olan was arrested with Nevin Daşdemir Dağkıran who served as a co-mayor over an investigation on terror related charges.[5] He was sentenced to 7 years and six months imprisonment and was arrested in E type prison of Bitlis.[6] He was released in July 2022. In the parliamentary elections of 2023, Hüseyin Olan was elected to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, representing Bitlis for the YSP.[7]

References

  1. Web site: Olan: The Green Left Party is the address of peace and democracy . 2023-06-19 . ANF News . en.
  2. Web site: Biographies of Kurdish Mayors in Prison . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180716140524/http://en.hdpeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/BIOs_KurdishMayorsinPrison.pdf . 16 July 2018 . 19 June 2023 . HDPEurope . 18.
  3. Web site: Şafak . Yeni . 2023-06-19 . Bitlis Seçim Sonuçları – Yerel Seçim Sonuçları Bitlis Yerel Seçim sonuçları . 2023-06-19 . Yeni Şafak . tr-TR.
  4. Web site: 2014-08-19 . Bitlis Town Council Names ‘William Saroyan Street’ . 2023-06-19 . . en-US.
  5. Web site: Bitlis Co-Mayors Taken into Custody During Operation in Municipality . Bianet.
  6. Web site: 2017-03-20 . Imprisoned Co-Mayors from Kurdish Region, Turkey – Peace in Kurdistan . 2023-06-19 . en-US.
  7. Web site: Şafak . Yeni . 2023-06-19 . Bitlis Seçim Sonuçları - 2023 Genel Seçim Bitlis Oy Oranları CANLI . 2023-06-19 . Yeni Şafak . tr-TR.