Derya Deniz was born in Turkey’s southern province of Mersin in 1985. Her family was from the Siverek district of the southeastern Urfa province. After graduating from the Ivanova University in Russia, she continued to live in Russia, working on documentary projects and TV programs. She also worked as a TV programmer in the Kurdistan Federal Region, and produced documentaries in Shengal and The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.