Feleknas Uca
Feleknas Uca (born 17 September 1976) is a German Die Linke politician of Kurdish descent. From 1999 to 2009 she was member of the European Parliament from Germany. Feleknas Uca was at one time the world's only Yazidi parliamentarian until the Iraqi legislature was elected in 2005.
[edit] Life and work
Feleknas Uca was born in Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany to a Kurdish family. She graduated from Comprehensive School in Celle before taking an apprenticeship as a doctor's assistant, and completed her Abitur by distance learning.
In 1999, aged 22, she was elected to the European Parliament fifth of six places on the Party of Democratic Socialism national list. In the 5th European Parliament (1999-2004), she sat on the Parliament's committees on Culture, Education and the Media and Equal Opportunities. She maintained close links with far left groups in Turkey and, in particular, Kurdish nationalist groups. She was a member of the EU-Turkey joint parliamentary committee. In the PDS' selection of candidates for elections to the 6th European Parliament (2004-2009), Uca slipped to seventh place on the PDS national list, putting her seat under severe pressure. However, in the elections, the PDS secured a slightly increased share of the vote and she was returned in the last successful place.
As of 2006, Feleknas Uca lives in Celle.
