German street named after first Turkish female physician

DORTMUND

A street in the German city of Dortmund has been named after Safiye Ali, Türkiye’s first female doctor, to honor her achievements as a medical doctor and women's rights activist.

At the commemorative ceremony organized for the prominent Turkish doctor 70 years after her death, her services and achievements throughout her life were cited.

Türkiye’s Consul General in Essen, Taylan Aydın, as well as several local administrators and representatives of non-governmental organizations were among the participants of the ceremony.

In addition to naming the street after Ali, the city of Dortmund has announced a special prize called “Dr. Safiye Ali Krekeler Pediatric Medicine and Health Award.”

Within the scope of promoting the importance of children's health, the award will be presented every two years to medical professionals who succeeded in outstanding achievements in the field of pediatric medicine and pediatric surgery, the city administration has announced.

In addition to the award, the city administration also stated that a 20,000 Euro prize money, corresponding to 590,000 Turkish Liras, will be presented to the winners, and a festival event will be held for the award ceremony.

Born in Istanbul in 1894, Ali holds the title of the country’s first female physician and the first woman to teach medicine.

In 1916, Ali started to study medicine in Germany and graduated with honors from the University of Wülzburg in Germany. In 1923, she opened her first practice in Istanbul and served as a doctor in Germany during World War II.

Bagging many achievements in her short life, Ali passed away on July 5, 1952, in Dortmund at the age of 58.