Sare Davutoğlu, the wife of Ahmet Davutoğlu, has been traversing across the country since her husband took over as the prime minister, campaigning for issues of great importance for women. However, her life before the spotlight was as rewarding, serving as a gynecologist for many years.Speaking to Daily Sabah on her way to attend the International Businesswomen Forum in Doha, Qatar to take her campaigning international, she said despite her hectic schedule she still found time to treat her patients. She shared her objectives as the spouse of the prime minister gives her a bigger audience to tackle issues she holds dear.l Daily Sabah: You usually do not like to give interviews. Is there any particular reason why?Sare Davutoğlu: I believe coming into the spotlight is related to one's character. Ahmet Davutoğlu is the one who is more important in this regard.l DS: How did your life change when your husband entered politics?SD: Prior to the 2007 elections, he was persistently asked to be involved in politics. There were those who wanted to see him as a politician and those who didn't. I was in the latter group, but I always believe that he makes the right decisions. We generally consult one another and he greatly appreciates my views. I stand behind his decision as I did in that year. He did not start his political career in 2007, but in 2009 when he became foreign minister. His new position brought significant changes to our lives, and our children were not in favor of their father's career in politics. We moved to Ankara, which was a very unfamiliar city for us at first, as we had never lived there before. Now, I think Ankara is an easy city, we have all gotten used to it. I had never thought that I would feel happy to come home, but while the plane was landing in Ankara a few days ago, that is exactly what I felt.l DS: Aside from moving to another city, what changed in your life, especially when you became the wife of the prime minister?SD: The last three months flew by very quickly. It was somewhat different when the elections took place in the past. We couldn't even take a short break, everything happened very fast. Sometimes I feel as if we have been living at the same fast pace for a very long time. Considering Turkey's agenda, such a transition period was also hard to tolerate. Moreover, many people know me now and I feel a bit distressed. I used to be known when he was the foreign minister, but there were not many people who would want to take a photo with me. As you may know, taking photos has become an addiction in recent times.l DS: You are a doctor and have been a practicing gynecologist for many years. Do you still see patients as much as you did previously?SD: No matter how busy I am, I always find time to see my patients. Rather than visiting my friends or family members, I examine my patients. During my last visit to Istanbul, I delivered two babies and there is even a patient that I have been seeing for a long time who gave birth to her fifth child. My profession requires a very private and close relationship.l DS: While you are living a fast-paced life, has there been a decrease in the number of your patients?SD: Of course. I realize there are one or two patients who do not consult me again a while later. I always think the same thing since my husband's term in the foreign ministry. I do not want to change our life; I have a job and patients. My profession satisfies me and I help them; I chose this profession and it always takes an important place in my life. I feel relaxed and very happy when I am working. As far as my health allows, I do not want to quit and will continue to work.l DS: As a doctor, you have participated in international projects with Doctors Worldwide. Are there any other projects on your future agenda?SD: I cannot give enough time to international projects due to my busy schedule, unfortunately. Ahmet has an intense schedule and I have to stay with my children. I manage to conduct health projects across the country, but I would like to attend an international program if I have the chance. Doctors Worldwide in Africa has been conducting a project on obstetric fistula and our motto describes it as "the suffering before death." Fistula is a terrible condition referring to a hole between the vagina and the bladder following a difficult childbirth due to inadequate medical care or a defect. It is such a bad condition that women with obstetric fistula cannot have a baby again and they are sometimes even left behind. In Niger alone, there have been more than 200,000 women diagnosed with it. Doctors Worldwide have conducted many operations in the region and as a part of our project, a new hospital is under construction. We have some other activities to promote and need to finance our project. Furthermore, girls' education and female genital mutilation are the two other important subjects on our agenda along with many others such as trainings on childbirth, avoiding possible diseases and child marriage and minimizing medical defects during delivery.l DS: Although it is not seen at such a tragic level, Turkish women also suffer from similar problems such as early marriage.SD: Female education is an important issue in Turkey, which also affects the age of marriage. Something significant must be done about childbirth in Turkey and we should raise awareness on the topic. The beauty of childbirth should be properly explained. We see some unfavorable campaigns and depictions against childbirth in the media, but normal delivery should be encouraged. A child's psychology is affected by his or her delivery method and it also affects the relationship between the child and the mother afterward.l DS: You paid a condolence visit to main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's wife who recently lost her mother. It was a rarely-seen occasion in the history of Turkish politics. How did you decide to go and what happened? How did you feel?SD: When we heard the bad news, we immediately called and extended our condolences. If we had the chance, we would have visited her much earlier, but we could not manage it. I called Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu when I returned to Ankara and she invited and welcomed us at her home. Well, I can say that we look as if we were living in compartmentalized lives in Turkey and it makes me feel uncomfortable. We are living side-by-side, but we usually don't mix with each other. Maybe everyone contributed to our current situation, but it was not our choice. Indeed, we were kept away from certain things. If we take a look at the last 12 years, many things were done to moderate the process and helping hands were offered, but ultimately those who have power should be mature enough. Leaving aside my visit to Selvi, I would like to say everything will become much easier if we leave our prejudices aside and create a more compassionate relationship. However, we have a traumatic memory. This is a process and I hope we will successfully overcome it.l DS: With regard to your description of society consisting of compartments, what do you think about the reactions against Turkish artists who have shown their support for the government in recent days?SD: Unfortunately, I am well aware of such attitudes, which can be seen in academic circles as well. I would like to share a very interesting account when Ahmet was the foreign minister. We took a VIP bus to go to the airport and I was greeting the others, mainly men, but they did not respond. I do not know what happened, but the guards or someone else either informed them that I was the wife of the foreign minister and they greeted me while I was leaving the bus. In other words, they greeted me due to my position, but I always offer my greetings to people. Apparently, our society has lost even this principal value. What is the definition of a greeting? It refers to a civic relationship, a message. Even if we are in an elevator, we share the same place and I will greet you, which means that I will not cause you harm. These small things are considered too much now it seems. I have not thought about it in more depth, but the issue of wearing a headscarf might be a factor. We have encountered such incidents before.l DS: Do you think the headscarf issue has been overcome in Turkey?SD: Believe me, it is still going on. This is a process; society will mature a little more in time. Of course, legal regulations accelerate the normalization process. Now, people are getting used to it, after all we are passing through it. Actually, this is something that we have been experiencing since the 1980s.l DS: What did you experience since the 1980s in particular?SD: I wore a headscarf while I attended my senior year at Eskişehir Anatolian High School. Of course, I used to take it off at the entrance. Our school was very beautiful and had a gymnasium, but I could not attend my P.E. classes because my friends played sports in shorts and I could not wear them due to my religion. It was a very hard year, indeed. I found it difficult to remove my headscarf since I was forced to do so. In the 1980s, I started university and wore my headscarf. My father warned me beforehand and said, "A military coup broke out and soldiers do not like headscarves. You should attend your classes in the way you used to do in high school." Instead, I replied, "Dad, I hope no such thing will happen." There were only six students who wore headscarves at the entire campus of Istanbul University and I was the only one in my class. When I was in the third year, the headscarf ban took effect and I could not continue my classes at first. Later, when the ban became less strict, I attended the classes whose lecturers allowed me. I used to take the lecture notes of the other classes. Later, the practical classes began and I enjoyed the fortune of being a small woman surrounded by many tall guys in my group. When a lecturer came in, they called my name and hid me behind them.l DS: How would you describe your husband?SD: He is a very hardworking, entertaining, fair and elegant person. We have been married for 31 years; we have had arguments and conflicted with each other, but he has done nothing to offend me. He is also very keen about his children. He is like a friend to them; however, it is hard for him to spare time for them since he became the prime minister. Handling problems faced by Turkish womenl DS: Domestic violence in Turkey greatly hurts women. What would you like to say about this issue as the wife of the prime minister?SD: Honestly, it is a topic that we should stress more and work on. One thing I want the most is to continue these efforts. We need to join forces and solve this problem. Domestic violence does not suit our country or any nation that gives great importance to women. l DS: Why can't Turkey solve this problem?SD: Actually, this problem is experienced in many countries around the world. We need to deal with this issue using every means possible, including educating mothers and male children as well as addressing how the media should cover this problem. Extensive coverage on violence in media also yields negative results. Not normal people but men who are prone to violence might infer unfavorable views from such news. l DS: Feminist associations collaborated with the government while laws against domestic violence were being prepared. However, they later decided that some practices and statements of the AK Party [Justice and Development Party] increased domestic violence against women. Why do you think this happened?SD: I do not agree with this. I do not believe the government can cause such a thing. Many things have been done by the government, including encouraging the education of women and girls, and I truly believe this with my whole heart. There is a huge gap between public perception and what has been done. I believe that the things that are done are not explained enough to the people. I worked with feminists during many workshops. Feminists in Turkey are following the logic "all or nothing," which makes everything even harder. They have an attitude that is far away from compromise. If we can act more sincerely, believe me that many problems in Turkey will be solved easily. Today, maybe, we have to create this intimate environment together.