Turkish Women during the National Struggle Period

The National Struggle was the struggle of the Turkish nation for its survival, aiming to liberate the homeland from occupation and establish an independent state. During this historical process, Turkish women transcended traditional roles, actively participating alongside men on the front lines and behind them, making significant contributions at every stage of the struggle. The multifaceted involvement of women during this period can be examined under main headings such as rallies, press and propaganda activities, associations they established or joined, direct armed resistance, and logistical support behind the front.

Turkish Women in the National Struggle (AA)

Women’s Voice and Organization in Rallies

At the outset of the National Struggle, public reactions against the occupying forces’ presence in Anatolia were clearly expressed through protests held across the country. Turkish women did not remain mere spectators in these rallies; they actively participated, delivered powerful speeches from the podiums, and voiced their belief in the independence of the homeland and their determination to resist occupation.

The Occupation of İzmir and Initial Reactions: The Greek occupation of İzmir on 15 May 1919 triggered widespread outrage throughout the nation and set off a chain of rallies. The first rally, held on the night of 14–15 May 1919 in Maşatlık, İzmir, at the call of the National Committee for the Rejection of Annexation, was a significant indicator of this awakening. The participation of women in this rally demonstrated the social foundation of the struggle.

Rallies in Istanbul and Women’s Leadership: Despite being under occupation, Istanbul became one of the key centers of national resistance. The first major women’s rally in Istanbul was organized on 19 March 1919 by students of İnas Dârülfünûnu (Women’s University) and members of the Asrî Kadınlar Cemiyeti. These rallies, attended by tens of thousands in districts such as Fatih, Sultanahmet, and Kadıköy, were addressed by pioneering women such as Halide Edip Adıvar, Nezihe Muhiddin, and Münevver Saime, who spoke directly to large crowds to protest the occupations.

In particular, Halide Edip Adıvar’s impassioned speech at the Sultanahmet Rally became one of the symbolic moments of the National Struggle. At these rallies, women not only condemned the occupations but also emphasized the necessity of national unity and resistance, raising public awareness.

The Wave Spreads to Anatolia: Alongside the rallies in Istanbul, large-scale rallies involving women were also held in various regions of Anatolia. In May 1919, protests against the occupations took place in cities such as Denizli, Kastamonu, Tavas, Bayramiç, Seydişehir, Giresun, Trabzon, Zonguldak, Edremit, Çal, Bursa, Erzurum, and İzmit. The presence of women alongside men in these rallies demonstrated that the struggle was a truly popular movement. These rallies played a vital role in awakening national consciousness and organizing resistance.

Press Activities and the Ideological Front

During the National Struggle, Turkish women participated in resistance not only physically but also intellectually. Through their articles, poems, and published journals, they influenced public opinion and sustained national awareness.

Columns in Women’s Magazines and Newspapers: Periodicals such as Kadınlar Dünyası, Sıhhat, and Türk Kadın Yolu served as important platforms for women’s voices during this period. These publications featured articles and news condemning the occupations, promoting national unity and solidarity, and highlighting women’s roles in defending the homeland. Women such as Halide Edip Adıvar wrote anti-occupation articles under their own names in national newspapers, boosting public resolve.

Halide Edip Adıvar (AA)

Propaganda and Awareness: These press activities aimed not only to influence public opinion within Turkey but also to reach international audiences. Women made efforts on international platforms to explain the just cause of the Turkish nation. Press activities served as a vital instrument in communicating the legitimacy and moral authority of the National Struggle to broad audiences.

Association Activities and Organizing the Home Front

During the National Struggle, women became key elements in organizing logistical support and social mobilization through the associations they established or joined. These associations collected material aid and provided moral and motivational support.

Anatolian Women’s Society for the Defense of the Homeland: Established under the direct instructions of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during the Sivas Congress, this society brought together women across Anatolia with the goal of active participation in defending the homeland. Within a short time, branches opened in many cities, procuring food, clothing, blankets, and other supplies for soldiers, providing care for the wounded, and collecting money and gold to support the National Struggle. Among the objectives stated in its charter were safeguarding the independence of the homeland and assisting the families of martyrs and veterans.

Women’s Branches of the Society for the Defense of Rights: The women’s branches of the Müdafaa-i Hukuk Cemiyetleri, the civilian wing of the National Struggle Movement, organized legal and social resistance against the occupations. These branches protested the unjust practices of occupying forces, raised public awareness, and acted as representatives of the national will.

Asrî Kadınlar Cemiyeti: This society, active in Istanbul, aimed to advance women’s social and cultural progress while also providing active support to the National Struggle.

Women During the National Struggle (AA)

Women’s Sections of Hilal-i Ahmer (Red Crescent): The Hilal-i Ahmer (Red Crescent), which had been active since the Ottoman period, played a significant role during the National Struggle through the intensive efforts of its women’s sections. They carried out humanitarian activities such as transporting wounded soldiers to the rear, volunteering as nurses in hospitals, combating epidemics, and providing moral and psychological support to soldiers. Women delivered clothing they sewed at home and food they prepared directly to the front lines.

Women During the National Struggle (AA)

Other Associations and the Spirit of Volunteering: Other civil society organizations such as Türk Ocakları and Muallimler Cemiyeti also conducted efforts through their female members to raise public awareness and encourage participation in the resistance. Women provided information about the National Struggle at meetings held in village squares and city centers, calling on the public to unite against the occupations.

Resistance on the Front and Behind the Lines

Turkish women did not limit their participation in the National Struggle to logistical support behind the front; they directly engaged in armed resistance on the front lines, transporting ammunition, providing intelligence, and treating the wounded.

Women Who Participated in Armed Resistance

Kara Fatma of Erzurum (Fatma Seher): Fatma Seher from Erzurum fought on the front lines alongside her husband during the Balkan Wars. During the National Struggle, she led her own detachment—comprising over 700 men and nearly 400 women—fighting on the Western Front against the enemy. Her courage and leadership earned the admiration of Mustafa Kemal Paşa, who awarded her the rank of junior officer and a medal. She served in numerous fronts and played an active role in reconnaissance and combat missions.

Kara Fatma of Erzurum (AA)

Tayyar Rahmiye: One of the heroes who resisted the French occupation in Adana and its surroundings. She fought alongside her own detachment and was martyred during the Siege of Pozantı.

Makbule of Gördes: Alongside her husband Halil Efe, she participated in guerrilla activities against the Greek occupation in the Aegean region and played an active role in armed resistance. She was martyred in combat and is remembered for her bravery.

Makbule of Gördes (AA)

Kılavuz Hatice: She particularly fought against French forces in the Pozantı region. On 8 May 1920, alongside Kumcu Veli, she lured French troops into an ambush, enabling a successful Turkish military operation.

Asker Saime: She achieved great success in intelligence and rear-line duties on the Western Front. Despite being wounded during a mission in İzmit, she continued her duties without interruption, earning her the name “Asker Saime.”

A Woman on the Front (AA)

Kara Fatma of Tarsus (Fatma Ergün): She fought against the French in Tarsus and its surroundings and played an active role on the front lines.

Yirik Fatma (Fatma Şahin of Gaziantep): She is known for her heroism during the defense of Gaziantep. She actively participated in the city’s defense.

A Woman on the Front (AA)

The wife of the Bitlis treasurer Ayşe Hanım, Melek Hanım, Nazife Kadın, Binbaşı Ayşe, Fatma Kadın of Mudurnu, and many others, numerous named and unnamed women actively fought on the front lines, engaged in combat with the enemy, were sometimes targeted by bullets, and at other times wounded by shrapnel.

Logistical Support and Rear-Line Activities

Transport of Ammunition and Supplies: Turkish women carried ammunition, food, medicine, and other essential supplies to the front under the most difficult geographical conditions, often with their infants in their arms or on their backs, or using carts. Regardless of rain, snow, or mud, and despite hunger and exhaustion, they fulfilled this duty. These efforts were critical to maintaining uninterrupted supply lines for the army.

Women During the National Struggle (AA)

Uniforms and Soldiers’ Needs: Women sewed and knitted items such as socks, sandals, underwear, and other clothing at home to meet soldiers’ needs. They cared for wounded soldiers in hospitals and worked to maintain their morale.

Women During the National Struggle (AA)

Agricultural Production and Economic Contribution: With men deployed to the front, women took over fieldwork to sustain agricultural production and meet the food needs of their families and soldiers. They also undertook heavy tasks such as cutting wood and transporting timber to support household economies and the needs of the front.

A Woman During the National Struggle (AA)

The Impact of the National Struggle on Women and Its Reflections in the Republican Era

The National Struggle was a period during which the social position of Turkish women changed. The extraordinary conditions of war increased women’s visibility in society and proved that their roles extended far beyond domestic duties.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk consistently praised the sacrifices and determination of Turkish women during the National Struggle. In his speech on 21 March 1923, he stated: “There is no woman in any part of the world, in any nation, superior to the Anatolian peasant woman. No woman in any nation can say, ‘I have worked harder than the Anatolian woman; I have served my nation as much as the Anatolian woman in bringing it to salvation and victory.’” ^【1】 These words clearly express the central role of Turkish women in securing victory in the struggle.

Atatürk and Halide Edip Adıvar Together (AA)

This social transformation brought about by the Turkish War of Independence laid the groundwork for legal and political changes in women’s rights during the early years of the Republic. Women were granted:

• the right to vote and stand for election in municipal elections on 3 April 1930,
• the right to become village headmen under the Village Law on 26 October 1933,
• and the right to vote and be elected as members of parliament on 5 December 1934.

These rights were granted to Turkish women earlier than in many Western countries.

During the National Struggle, Turkish women actively participated not only behind the front lines but also on the front lines in the fight for the independence of the homeland. Their voices in rallies, their awareness campaigns through the press, the logistical and moral support they provided through associations, and above all their heroism on the battlefield have become an enduring part of Turkish history. This participation became one of the foundational pillars of the Republic and played a decisive role in shaping the future status of Turkish women.

A Photograph Taken During the 10th Anniversary Celebrations (AA)