Fatma Seher Erden
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Fatma Seher Erden | |
|---|---|
 Fatma Seher Erden | |
| Nickname(s) | Kara Fatma |
| Born | 1888 Erzurum, Turkey |
| Died | 1955 İstanbul, Turkey |
| Allegiance |  Turkey |
| Years of service | 1919-1923 |
| Rank | First Liutenant |
| Commands held | Militia |
| Battles/wars | War of Independence |
| Awards | Medal of Independence |
Kara Fatma (1888 -1955) or more formally Fatma Seher Erden, was a Turkish female hero who distinguished herself in the Turkish War of Independence. (Literally the word kara means "black". But when used as a human modifier it also means "courageous")
Life
She was born in Erzurum. Her father was Yusuf Ağa. She married. But her husband died in Caucasus Campaign of the First World War (1915 ?) . In 1919, she travelled to Sivas where a congress was held by Mustafa Kemal Pasha (then Atatürk). She asked for being enlisted in the army. After Mustafa Kemal Pasha's approval, she formed a milita group. There were 43 women in addition to 700 men under her command. Two times she was taken prisoner by the Greek army. According to an interview in Tanin newspaper, in her second prisonment she was taken to the headquarter of General Nikolaos Trikoupis where the genaral spoke to her. But she managed to escape from the prison. [1] She fought both in İzmit-Bursa front and İzmir fronts. According to columnist Yılmaz Özdil, her unit was one of the first units to enter İzmir during the Liberation of İzmir on 9 September 1922. Her unit controlled Karşıyaka (north of İzmir bay).[2]
Late years
Although women soldiers were unheard of till 1919, Kara Fatma with some others (Like Halide Edip Adıvar) officially appointed as soldier. She began her military carrer as a corporal and ended as a first liteunant. She then retired and donated her pension to Turkish Red Crescent. For a while she almost faded away. But in 1933, a journalist found her living in a monastery with her grand child. She died on 2 July 1955.
Legacy
She was awarded by Medal of Independence a medal offered to these who contributed to the ındependence of Turkey.