ZANA, MEHDI

(1940- )

Ethnic Kurdish citizen ofTurkeyassociated withKemal Burkayin theKurdistan Socialist Partyof Turkey. In 1978, he was elected mayor ofDiyarbakir. After the Turkish military coup of September 1980, he was imprisoned for 16 years for separatist activities but not accused of involvement in violence. As a result,Amnesty Internationalworked for his release. He was freed in 1991 under the terms of an amnesty issued by PresidentTurgut Ozal, imprisoned, and then again released. He moved to Sweden but finally returned to Turkey in 2004. He marriedLeyla Zanain 1975, and the couple has two children.