Anatolian Women's Society for the Defense of the Homeland

The Anatolian Women’s Defense of the Motherland Society is a civil society organization established in Sivas during the Turkish War of Independence to ensure women’s active participation in the defense of the homeland.

In the aftermath of the Armistice of Mudros and amid the occupation of Anatolia and the dire conditions facing the Ottoman State, this society represented the role and organization of women in the nationwide struggle for independence initiated by the Turkish nation and undertook significant activities.

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Foundation and Structure

The Anatolian Women’s Defense of the Motherland Society was decided upon at a meeting held on November 1919 at the Sivas Model School, led by Melek Reşit Hanım, wife of the then Governor of Sivas Reşit Bey, with the participation of women from prominent families and spouses of civil and administrative officials.

The society’s declaration of principles was submitted to the Sivas Governorship on 26 November 1919, and upon submission of its bylaws, legal procedures were completed and it officially commenced operations on 9 December 1919. The society recognized all women as natural members. Under the presidency of Melek Reşit Hanım, Samiye Hanım served as vice president, Şefika Hanım as secretary, and Emine Hanım as treasurer.

According to its eleven-article regulation:

• The society would operate throughout all of Anatolia with its central office in Sivas.
• It would oppose all forms of occupation and interference in internal affairs, particularly those by Greek and Armenian organizations. While respecting the rights of non-Muslims, it would defend the homeland alongside Turkish men against any activity harmful to the nation and the country.
• To achieve this goal, all Muslim women would work in unity; women in occupied regions would be exempt from these obligations until suitable conditions arose.
• The Board of Directors would be elected by secret ballot at a congress and would consist of the president, vice president, responsible secretary, and treasurer.
• Areas of the Ottoman Empire not yet occupied at the time of the Mudros Armistice, populated by Turkish Muslims, would be considered inseparable; the people there, both women and men, would be bound by brotherly sentiments and show mutual respect for each other’s social status and ethnicity.
• The Board of Directors would consist of sixteen members and meet every fifteen days. Official correspondence would bear the seal and signatures of the president or their representative and the secretary; these three members would be accountable to the government.
• Membership records would be under the responsibility of Board members, and expenditures would be approved by Board decision and signed by the responsible secretary.
• A three-member financial committee (president, secretary, treasurer) would manage the society’s accounts.
• The society could employ salaried staff when necessary and, when required, active members would gather to collect donations.
• The regulation could be amended by decision of the congress.

Areas of Activity

From its foundation, the Anatolian Women’s Defense of the Motherland Society carried out a wide range of activities aimed at raising public awareness and providing material and moral support to the National Struggle:

Branch Expansion: Alongside its central office in Sivas, the society opened branches in fourteen cities including Kastamonu, Amasya, Kayseri, Kangal, Pınarhisar, Niğde, Aydın, Viranşehir, Erzincan, Eskişehir, Burdur, and Yozgat, aiming to extend its reach across Anatolia. Women from Denizli, Isparta, and Karacahisar also participated in its activities.

Women’s Meetings and Public Opinion Formation: The society organized meetings specifically to raise awareness among women about the independence struggle. At its first major meeting in Sivas on 28 November 1919, Melek Reşit Hanım emphasized that the occupation of cities such as İzmir and Istanbul was unacceptable and stressed the importance of unified action against the enemy. The society continued these meetings and correspondence until the success of the independence war.

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Telgram Activities

Telgrams to the Istanbul Government: Telgrams were sent demanding resistance to occupations and providing information about the society’s founding purpose.

Telgrams to Representatives of the Allied Powers: Protests were sent to Allied Powers such as Britain, France, and Italy, highlighting the injustice and brutality of occupations. The principles of U.S. President Wilson were invoked to emphasize that İzmir was Turkish land and to protest occupations in Southeastern Anatolia.

Telgrams to the Wives of Heads of State: Telgrams were sent to the wives of the French President and the Queens of Britain and Italy, requesting assistance against occupations, calling for an end to unjust practices, and urging a just peace. Similarly, a telgram was sent to Mrs. Wilson, wife of U.S. President Wilson, appealing for the restoration of the rights of the Turkish nation, which had surrendered in trust to Wilson’s principles.

Protest Telgrams to the Ottoman Press: Telgrams were sent to the Ottoman Press Society demanding the cessation of publications that supported occupations and were viewed as treasonous to the homeland.

Activities Targeting International Public Opinion: The society informed international women’s organizations about the unjust occupation of Anatolia, negative developments, sexual violence against women, and censorship by occupiers, striving to mobilize global public opinion.

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Cooperation Correspondence

Cooperation with the Anatolian Agency: Upon learning of the establishment of the Anatolian Agency by Mustafa Kemal Paşa, the society expressed approval and stated that it would utilize the agency’s publications and ensure that news reached even the most remote villages. From its foundation, the society maintained continuous communication with the Anatolian Agency.

Relations with the Ottoman Senate and Chamber of Deputies: The society expressed its hope that members of the councils would support the War of Independence, reject occupations, and affirm that Turks could live under their own councils and government. Upon the dissolution of the Istanbul council, it sent “welcome” telgrams to the deputies who relocated to Ankara.

Relations with the Representation Committee and the Ankara Government: From its foundation, the society received direct instructions from Mustafa Kemal Paşa, first on behalf of the Representation Committee and later the Ankara Government, and reported all its activities to him.

Aid Activities

To provide material support for the National Struggle, the society collected aid to meet the needs of soldiers for clothing and food and the urgent requirements of refugees, the destitute, and families of wounded and martyred soldiers. Women traveled from house to house and contributed directly through their own labor to the army’s clothing efforts.

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The society mobilized all its material resources to implement the National Obligations orders. It reported collected aid and expenditures to the Representation Committee and published the names of donors in the İrade-i Milliye newspaper to inform the public and encourage further contributions.

The society ensured the full participation of Turkish women in the nationwide independence struggle, expanded its branches across Anatolia, and became one of the most effective women’s movements of the era. The society’s activities stand as a significant example of Turkish women’s patriotism, determination, and resolve.