Türkan was born to Mehmet Sabri and his spouse Abide in Üsküdar, Istanbul, then Ottoman Empire.

As she saw a chance to enter active politics, she resigned from her teacher post, and applied for a candidate position by the Republican People's Party (CHP) for the 1935 general election held on February 8.

[2] In a report about her electoral district she prepared for the parliament in 1935, Baştuğ noted that the tribes living scattered in the seaside area should be settled down, the marshes causing malaria should be drained, the mosque in Elmalı, which is believed to be built by the famous Ottoman chief architect Mimar Sinan (c. 1488/1490–1588), needs restoration, the village teachers should be re-educated to prevent their rustification.

[1] Outside of her parliamentary work, Baştuğ participated at the 12th International Congress of Women held in Istanbul between April 18–26, 1935, and delivered a speech on "The Powers and Duties of A Female Citizen".

[1] Türkan Örs Baştuğ attended the parliamentary sessions wearing a modern hat instead of a headscarf, which was usual before the 1934 ban of religion-based clothing.