She was born on 1934 in the town of Crichim, Plovdiv district. She graduated Turkish Philology from Sofia University (it was the first course in this specialty whose alumni graduated in 1956, among them H. Memova) and then Bulgarian Philology. At first she worked at Teacher’s Institute in Kardzhali and then in the Turkish department of the Institute for qualification of teachers in Stara Zagora. Later she worked in Sofia University as lecturer in Turkish Philology. She worked there 22 years and became associate professor. For some time she worked in the Institute for Balkan Studies to the Bulgarian Academy of Science. She worked in the field of Turkish studies, Balkanistic studies and Slavic studies.
In 1981 her Turkish-Bulgarian thematic dictionary was printed in Sofia University. With decision No 4170 of 14.07.81 of the Rector of the University Ilcho Dimitrov the dictionary had to be burned out. Some scholars protested and the dictionary was stored in the basement of the University. In 1993 with order of the Rector Ivan Lalov the dictionary was not any more discriminated and was on sale. In 2007 it was printed in Turkey by the Ministry of Education. Nevertheless she was promoted to associated professor the procedure was not acknowledged officially because of political persecution against her. During the campaign against the Bulgarian Turks she was repressed and had to work for 4 years in the Electric car factory in Sofia.
In 1989 she arrived in Turkey, in 1991 she was appointed in Ankara University as lecturer in Bulgarian Philology. In Turkey she became full professor. She worked also in the University in the town of Mugla. She has more than 250 publications.
Prepared by prof. Zeynep Zafer