Background
She was born in Istanbul on September 30, 1936 as the third child of six to Mithat Yenen, an architect-civil servant, and his wife Anneliese Rupp from Germany, who took later the Turkish name Aliye.
She was born in Istanbul on September 30, 1936 as the third child of six to Mithat Yenen, an architect-civil servant, and his wife Anneliese Rupp from Germany, who took later the Turkish name Aliye.
After completing the high school in Ankara, Soysal studied archaeology at Ankara University, but left without graduation. She followed her husband to Germany, where she attended one-year long lectures on archaeology and theatre at the University of Göttingen.
In 1962, she published a collection of short stories, Tutkulu Perçem ("Passionate Bangs"). In the same year, she began to work with the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT). She wrote under the pen names:
Sevgi Nutku while she was married to Özdemir Nutku
Sevgi Sabuncu while she was married to Başar Sabuncu
Sevgi Soysal while she was married to Mümtaz Soysal.
During her detention in Ankara"s Mamak Prison, she met Mümtaz Soysal, a professor of Constitutional law, who was also detained for making propaganda of communism.