Born in Istanbul, she graduated from Robert College in 1983 and the Computer Engineering Department of Boğaziçi University in 1988. She worked at CERN as a particle physicist from 1991 to 1993 and received an MSc in physics from Boğaziçi University as a result of her research there. She began research for a PhD in physics in Rio de Janeiro before returning to Turkey to become a full-time writer in 1996. Aslı Erdoğan was detained on 17 August 2016 during the police raid on pro-Kurdish daily, Özgür Gündem for being a member of the Advisory Board of the newspaper.
Ji Lîseya Amerikan Robertê û Zanîngeha Bogaziçiyê destûr girt. Mastera xwe li CERNê (Conseeil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire) kir. Li Rio de Janerioyê dest bi doktorayê kir lê perwerdehiya xwe berda û dest bi nivîskariyê kir. Di sala 1994an de pirtûka wê ya yekem derket.