MEMORIES FROM ATATURK

MEMORIES 1
 

Title 6
Title 7

Title 8
Title 9

Title 10
Title 11

Title 12
Title 12

Title 13
Title 14

Title 15
Title 16

Title 17
Title 18

Title 19
Title 20

ANILAR 2
Title 1
Title 2

Title 3
Title 4
Title 5

Title 6
Title 7

Title 8
Title 9

Title 10

ANILAR 3
Title 1
Title 2

Title 3
Title 4
Title 5

Title 6
Title 7

Title 8
Title 9

Title 10

SECTION 4
Title 1
Title 2
Title 3
Title 4
Title 5
Title 6

On the 106th anniversary of May 19, 1919, when the founder of the Republic of Turkey, the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, landed in Samsun and started our War of Independence, we remember with mercy and gratitude all our martyrs and veterans, especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms. (19.05.2025)

A VILLAGE WOMAN AND ATATURK
 

Sabiha Gökçen narrates:
While walking around Atatürk Farm and getting some air, we came across a very old woman. Atatürk got off his horse and approached this old woman;
- Hello, grandma

The woman looked at Atatürk's face and said in a soft voice,
- Hello.

- Where are you coming from and where are you going?

The woman paused for a moment;

- Why do you ask? Are you the owner of these places? Or are you the keeper? She said.

The Pasha smiled;

- I am neither the owner nor the keeper, grandma. These lands belong to the Turkish nation. The keeper of this place is the Turkish nation itself. Now will you tell me where you came from and where you are going?

The woman nodded;

-Of course I will tell you sir, I am from a village in Sincan, sir, one of those parched villages where grass is hard to grow and horses are slow to catch up. Our Reeve(Headman) bought me a ticket and put me on the train, and I came to Ankara.

-Why did the headman send you to Ankara?
-To see our Veteran (Atatürk) Pasha. I caused him a lot of trouble... My two sons were martyred in the infidel war. I prayed that I would not die without seeing the person who saved the country from the infidels. Atatürk Pasha entered my dreams. When I told the headman saying every day, he bought me a ticket and sent me to Ankara, I came at night. Since I don't know the way or what, I have been beating myself up here and there since evening, sir.

-Do you have any request, wish of Gazi Pasha?

The woman's face suddenly hardened.
- Repent, sir, repent! What more could I wish for... He saved our homeland. He saved us from the hands of the enemy. He didn't let them trample on the graves of our martyrs, what more could I ask for from him? Thanks to him, we are now living as we want. Didn't we save ourselves from being dogs of this and that infidel offspring thanks to him? I came here just to see his face once, to say, "Thank you, Pasha!" If I die without seeing him, my eyes will go with open eyes. You seem like a decent man, help me so that I can find (Atatürk) Veteran Pasha, tell me.

Atatürk's eyes were filled with tears, it was obvious from his every gesture that he was very emotional. He turned to me;

- You see, Gökçen, this is our people... This is my villager, my loyal Turkish mother.

I got off the horse. I held the old woman's hand;

- My dear mother, you found what you were looking for in the sky, Gazi Pasha, the one who made you run all the way here, I said, is standing in front of you.

The village woman was astonished when she heard these words. She threw down her stick and hugged Atatürk’s hands. It was a sight to behold. Both of them were crying. Two Turkish people, one the savior, one the rescued, were crying in an embrace like mother and son. The old woman kissed Atatürk’s hands maybe ten times. Atatürk kissed his hands too. Then she took out a small package from her bag. Or rather, a village cheese wrapped in cloth. She handed it to Atatürk;

- I made it with my own hands from the milk of my only cow, Gazi Pasha, I brought this as a gift for you. If you like it, I will make it again and bring it back.
The Pasha immediately opened the cloth and ate the cheese. He said he liked it very much. Then we went to the mansion together. He gave the following order to those there;
- Take this mother and host her here for two days. Then take her to her village. When you go, give her three cows as my gift.
 

                                      *   *   *

During Atatürk's presidency, Turkish women were granted the right to vote and be elected as mayors in 1930 and as members of parliament in 1934. Women gained the right to vote and be elected in France in 1944, in Italy in 1945, in Belgium in 1948, in Greece in 1952 and in Switzerland in 1971.