Rebellious

First Turkish Woman Poses for Playboy Cover

Mother has cut off contact.

Sila Sahin, a 25-year-old Turkish German living in Berlin, became the first Turkish woman to pose for the cover of Playboy, and her parents are none too happy about it. The actress, Sila Sahin, said she decided to model for the German edition of the magazine because she wanted to express her freedom. “I have always abided by what men say. As a result I developed an extreme desire for freedom,” she said in the 12-page article accompanying the photos. “I feel like Che Guevara. I have to do everything I want, otherwise I feel like I may as well be dead.” Her mother cut off all contact with Sahin when she heard her daughter mention the photo shoot during a television interview, but Sahin's actor father has been more accepting—though he worries about the response from the wider Muslim community. “For too long I tried to do everything right,” says Sahin. “I want these photos to show young Turkish women it's OK for you to live however you choose.”