İclal Ersin Karakaptan (born in 1915) was the first female Turkish economist. She was also the first female branch manager of a bank in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Biography

İclal Ersin was born to Ali Rıza Pasha, an Ottoman

cartographer Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...

, in 1915. In 1928, she began jobbing at the Adana branch office of the newly founded Türkiye İş Bankası (İşBank). While studying at the Kandilli High School for Girls, she worked in the same bank as an accountant. After a short time, she was appointed accounting manager, and became so the first female bank employee of the İşBank with signing authority.Who's who page
/ref> She was introduced to

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish field marshal and revolutionary statesman who was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first President of Turkey, president from 1923 until Death an ...

, the founder of the Turkish Republic, by Celal Bayar, the first director general of the bank. She asked Atatürk for an opportunity of further education abroad. In 1939, she obtained a scholarship to study in

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public university, public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by French theologian John Calvin as a Theology, theological seminary. It rema ...

, Switzerland. In 1941, she returned to Turkey with a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

title in economics gained upon her doctoral thesis on the "Occupation tax in Turkey". After serving as chief inspector at the Ankara main branch, and as controller in the branch offices of

Beyoğlu Beyoğlu (; ) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 9 km2, and its population is 225,920 (2022). It is on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the o ...

and

Galata Galata is the former name of the Karaköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, which is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. The district is connected to the historic Fatih district by several bridges that cross the Golden Horn, most nota ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, she was appointed manager of the bank's newly opened Nişantaşı branch in Istanbul in 1953, becoming so the first ever Turkish female at this position. She continued for ten years in this post.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ersin, Iclal Possibly living people 1915 births People from Adana University of Geneva alumni Turkish economists Turkish women in business Turkish businesspeople