TBMM SPEAKER KURTULMUŞ OPENED THE EXHIBITION OF WOMEN HEROES IN THE WORLD WAR I AND THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.

TBMM SPEAKER KURTULMUŞ OPENED THE EXHIBITION OF WOMEN HEROES IN THE WORLD WAR I AND THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.

TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said, “We will all struggle together to rethink where Turkish women have come from, to set greater goals, to meet with our common national goals as women and men side by side, especially in the second century of our Republic, in this century that we call the Century of Türkiye.”

Kurtulmuş attended the opening program of the Women Heroes in the World War I and the War of Independence Exhibition organized in the Hall of Honor of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on the occasion of March 8 International Women’s Day and addressed the guests.

Kurtulmuş thanked those who contributed to the preparation of the exhibition and also pointed out the importance of bringing this exhibition before March 8 International Women’s Day.

TBMM President Kurtulmuş said that they opened an exhibition where they will respectfully, gratefully and thankfully remember the founding women of the republic, who made great contributions to the establishment of Türkiye, who were the invisible heroes of the national independence struggle, who were present at least as strongly as men in all fronts, in the War of Independence and in the First World War, and who made great efforts and contributions to the achievement of independence. Kurtulmuş, who emphasized that the exhibition would be an important reminder in terms of remembering the sacrifices and heroism of Turkish women between 1914-1923 while also being inspired by them, made the following statements:

"If each of the objects presented in this exhibition had a language to tell... They are objects with many great stories. The most invisible heroes of a nation that defended its homeland, flag, faith and land with the spirit of independence, without giving up, without fear, without stepping back and without giving up on its common goals, in the days when the 72nd world powers descended upon us under the most difficult conditions, and when a significant part of Anatolian lands were occupied by invaders, are the women of our War of Independence. Each of them wrote great epics and revealed the stories we all know. They showed the whole world what heroism can be like. If it were not for their courage, if they were not involved in this as soldiers on the battlefields, as auxiliary personnel behind the front lines, as nurses when necessary, and as commanders who gathered and guided people in a very authoritarian manner when necessary, perhaps these great successes in our War of Independence would not have been achieved."

 

TBMM President Kurtulmuş, stating that women are now present in every field in Türkiye and that they have reached a period where they are representing women very actively under the roof of TBMM, said:

"It is a pleasing element for all of us that women are now very qualified and very active in the fields of education, art, culture and also in the business world in Türkiye. If we are citizens of the Republic of Turkey, whose word is valid, whose reputation is high and who have the potential to walk much bigger goals, not only after gaining independence, but also after a century has passed since gaining independence, then this point has undoubtedly been reached by continuing this struggle side by side with women and men under equal conditions and having equal rights. From now on, we have to walk arm in arm and shoulder to shoulder to evaluate the great opportunities that the new period has opened up for us in the world, especially from science to art, from culture to technology. With this exhibition, we aim to rethink where Turkish women have come to, to set forth bigger goals, to meet with our common national goals side by side, and to become much stronger especially in the next century, that is, in the second century of our Republic, in this century that we call the Century of Turkey. We will fight together to establish Türkiye."

Kurtulmuş expressed his great pleasure that such a meaningful exhibition is being opened under the roof of the TBMM, which was both the military headquarters of the National Struggle and the founding assembly of the republic.

Hisart Live History Museum Founder and exhibition curator Nejat Çuhadaroğlu stated that it was an honor for them to have the exhibition opened at the TBMM.

Çuhadaroğlu, who noted that Turkish women took part in the National Struggle not only as mothers, wives and children, but also as soldiers fighting on the front lines, nurses healing the wounded, and patriots behind the front lines producing ammunition, said, "I hope that the exhibition will help us better understand the place of our women in our history and pass it on to future generations."

The exhibition, which consists of works from the Hisart Live History Museum collection; There are documents and photographs of nursing courses established by the Red Crescent Society (Kızılay), aid badges and postcards, and medals and letters belonging to the first Turkish nurse Safiye Hüseyin Elbi.

In addition, there are more than 200 objects in the exhibition, including photographs and documents showing ammunition and food transportation activities during the war, photographs of women and children working in a cartridge factory, postcards, accessories, badges, medals, medals of Compassion, letters, propaganda posters, newspaper copies of the period, various documents, photographs, dioramas and animations.

The exhibition opening was attended by TBMM Deputy Speaker Gülizar Biçer Karaca, AK Party Group Deputy Chairs Leyla Şahin Usta, Özlem Zengin, Ankara Governor Vasip Şahin, the first female general in the history of the Republic, Brigadier General Özlem Yılmaz, members of parliament and invitees.