About Pinar

Pınar Özhal was born in 1969 in Diyarbakır, Turkey. She grew up there with her parents and a large family, all significantly impacted by the political turmoil in Turkey. Her eldest sister, involved in a legal political group aimed at educating underprivileged women, was arrested during the 1980 coup and imprisoned for a year and a half. This led to their relocation from Diyarbakır to Çanakkale. Pinar ultimately attended university in Istanbul, choosing to move there for the opportunities and lifestyle a larger city could offer​​. Her education was in American and English Literature, but due to her major, she couldn't focus much on Turkish literature during her college years. After graduating, she taught English in various settings, including private language schools and a state university, enjoying her role as a teacher despite the challenging circumstances and low pay typical of government institutions at the time​​. Pınar met her husband in Malta and moved to Seattle in 2008 due to her husband's job relaction. Her journey to the U.S. was marked by a cautious approach, adhering to visa rules and later going through the process of legalization and citizenship after marriage​​. She plans to move to Europe, citing proximity to Turkey as a major reason for the planned move.