Anatolian Women's Society for the Defense of the Nation

Anadolu Kadınları Müdafaa-i Vatan Cemiyeti 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 context of the occupation of Anatolia and the difficult conditions faced by the Ottoman State following the Armistice of Mudros, this society represented the role and organization of women in the nationwide struggle for independence and undertook significant activities.

^{Women in the National Struggle} (AA)

The Anadolu Kadınları Müdafaa-i Vatan Cemiyeti was established following a meeting held on November 1919 at the Sivas Model School, initiated by Melek Reşit Hanım, wife of the then Governor of Sivas Reşit Bey, and attended by women from prominent families and spouses of administrative officials.

The society’s declaration was submitted to the Sivas Governorate on 26 November 1919, and upon submission of its bylaws, legal procedures were completed and it officially began operations on 9 December 1919. The society accepted 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 regulations:

• It would operate throughout all of Anatolia with its center in Sivas.
• It would oppose all forms of occupation and interference in internal affairs, particularly those organized by Greeks and Armenians. 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 this obligation 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.
• Territories of the Ottoman Empire not yet occupied at the time of the signing of the Armistice of Mudros, which were populated by Turkish Muslims, would be considered inseparable; the people there, both women and men, would be bound by a spirit of brotherhood and show mutual respect for each other’s social status and ethnicity.
• The Board of Directors would consist of 16 members and meet every 15 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 the Board of Directors, and expenditures would be approved by a 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, if required, active members would gather to collect donations.
• The regulations could be amended by a decision of the congress.

From its foundation, the Anadolu Kadınları Müdafaa-i Vatan Cemiyeti 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 14 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 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.

^{Yardım Amaçlı Çalışan Kadınlar} (AA)

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

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

Telegrams to the Wives of Heads of State: Telegrams were sent to the wives of the President of France and the Queens of Britain and Italy, requesting assistance against the occupations and calling for an end to unjust practices and a just peace. Similarly, a telegram 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 of Wilson’s principles.

Protest Telegrams to the Ottoman Press: Telegrams were sent to the Matbuat-ı Osmaniye Cemiyeti 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, seeking to mobilize global public opinion.

^{Women in the National Struggle} (AA)

Cooperation with the Anatolian Agency: Upon learning from Mustafa Kemal Paşa that the Anatolian Agency had been established, the society expressed approval and stated that it would utilize the agency’s publications to disseminate news even to 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 the occupations, and affirm that Turks could live under their own councils and government. Upon the dissolution of the Istanbul council, it sent “welcome” telegrams 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 on behalf of the Representation Committee and later the Ankara Government, and reported all its activities to him.

To provide material support for the National Struggle, the society collected aid to meet the needs of soldiers for clothing and food and to address the urgent requirements of refugees, orphans, 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 production.

^{Yardım Amaçlı Çalışan Kadınlar} (AA)

They mobilized all their material resources to implement the Tekâlif-i Milliye orders. They reported the aid collected and expenditures made 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 activities of the society stand as a significant example of the patriotism, determination, and resolve of the Turkish woman.