In 1999, she was elected to the Turkish Grand National Assembly (parliament) representing Adana for the Democratic Left Party. During her term in office, she was a member of the Turkish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where she was Vice Chair of the Committee on Human Rights, member of the Committee on Health and Family Affairs, and a member of the Committee on Equality between Men and Women. In 2002, she became Minister of State responsible for Cyprus and for Turks living abroad.