Mustafa Atici (born 2 October 1969, Elbistan, Turkey)[1] is a Swiss politician of Kurdish descent from the Social Democratic Party (SP). He was elected in April 2024 as a member of the Government of Basel-Stadt.[2]
Mustafa Atici | |
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Member of the Gouvernement of Basel-Stadt Former Member of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland | |
Assumed office 2019 | |
Constituency | Canton of Basel-Stadt |
Member of the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt | |
In office 2005–2019 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Basel-Stadt 2 October 1969 Elbistan, Turkey |
Died | Basel-Stadt |
Resting place | Basel-Stadt |
Citizenship | |
Nationality | Kurdish |
Political party | Social Democratic Party |
Parent |
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Mustafa Atici was born into a family of grain traders.[3] Atici attended primary school in Elbistan, high school in Gaziantep and attended a further education in Istanbul. From 1987 to 1989 he began studying industrial engineering at Gazi University in Ankara.[citation needed] He moved to Cologne in 1992, but after he visited his relatives in Switzerland he moved to Basel.[3] In 1992 he emigrated to Basel as a student. After arriving in Switzerland, he studied economics at the University of Basel from 1992 to 1995 and received a Master's degree at the European Institute of the University of Basel in 1998.[4] After he graduated, he opened the first Döner in Basel.[3]
Since having arrived in Switzerland he was impressed by the federal administration and multilingualism of Switzerland and soon decided that he wanted to get involved in Swiss politics.[3] He applied to become a citizen the day he was allowed to do so.[3] Being raised in a family with a social democratic background, he joined the SP.[3] As a representative of the SP, he was elected into the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt in 2005 and served as a member of the Grand Council until May 2019.[5] In the Grand Council he advocated for a better framework for the Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMBs) and also the improvement of the education.[5] He took part in a delegation of Swiss politicians around Balthasar Glättli to Diyarbakir and Van, serving as a translator in their interviews with imprisoned politicians like Hatip Dicle and Selma Irmak.[6] After Turkey bombed the mainly Kurdish population in Afrin, Syria, and subsequently invaded and captured Afrin, he was a leading force behind a resolution of the Grand Council which condemned the Turkish invasion of Afrin.[7] In the parliamentary elections in 2019 he was placed third in the Canton Basel-Stadt[8] and until October 2023 he represented the Canton of Basel-Stadt in the Federal Assembly of Switzerland.[9] In view of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey, he voiced support for an accelerated visa program for victims with relatives in Switzerland.[10]
Atici is married and has two children.[11] In 1990s six of his siblings lived in Switzerland.[3] He is also a member of the Alevi cultural centre of Basel.[12]