Ayşe Yiğit

Ayşe Yiğit (born 1 October 1972) is a Belgian politician and member of the Chamber of Representatives.^[1] A member of the Workers' Party of Belgium, she has represented Hainaut since June 2024. She had previously been a member of the Senate from 2019 to 2024.^[2]

Yiğit was born on 1 October 1972 in Taşlıgedik, Çaykara, Turkey.^[1][3] Her father Niyazi Yiğit migrated to Limburg in the mid-1980s to teach and later brought his family to Belgium.^[4] Yiğit then returned to Turkey to finish her education, graduating with a degree in communication sciences and journalism from Ege University.^[4][5] She settled in Belgium permanently in 1998.^[5] She is a translator and interpreter and has worked for Babel Vlaamse Tolkentelefoon, Flemish Integration Agency [nl].^[4]

Yiğit joined the Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB) in 2015 and was active in its women's wing, Marianne (now Zelle).^[4][5] She contested the 2018 local election as the PTB's first placed candidate for the municipal council in Houthalen-Helchteren but the party failed to win any seats in the municipality.^[6] She contested the 2019 federal election as the PTB's first placed candidate in Limburg but the party failed to win any seats in the constituency.^[7] She was co-opted to the Senate in July 2019.^[8][9] She was elected to the Chamber of Representatives at the 2024 federal election.^[10]

Yiğit has a daughter and son.^[4][3][5]