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CHAPTER 4 – HALIDE EDIP AND YAKUP KADRI 
110 
and thus to improve the economy of the empire, to restrain the privileges granted to 
the religious minorities and to protect Turkey from the Russian threat. 
She was distanced from the Unionist Triumvirate after she had given a speech in the 
Türk Ocağı
in which she expressed criticism for the violence perpetrated against the 
Armenians. Hülya Adak suggests that her subsequent educational activities in Syria 
(1916-8) may have been like a self-imposed exile. During that time she became 
involved in the organisation of schools under the auspices of the Ottoman governors 
as well as of one teachers training school
28
. 
In 1917 while in Syria she married Dr Adnan (Adıvar), who was in Bursa, by proxy. 
Dr Adnan was very close to Mustafa Kemal and Halide Edip too had already met 
him.
The war ended with Turkey’s defeat in 1918. Halide Edip returned to Istanbul and 
the next five years in the course of which the nationalist resistance was born and 
became eventually victorious was the period in which she played her most prominent 
part in public life. Her life during these years is recounted in 
The Turkish Ordeal, 
written in English after her self-imposed exile from Mustafa Kemal’s Turkey in 1926 
and first published in 1928. 
After the Moudros Armistice of October 1918, which was in substance an Ottoman 
surrender, the Sultan’s government continued to exist but was effectively under the 
control of the Allies, particularly the British. In May 1919, Halide Edip famously 
28
Adivar 2005, x and 431-471 

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CHAPTER 4 – HALIDE EDIP AND YAKUP KADRI 
111 
addressed a huge crowd gathered in Sultan Ahmet protesting against the landing of 
the Greek troops in İzmir
29
. Of this a visual record exists not only in photographs but 
also a silent newsreel. For a woman to address such a huge crowd in Istanbul under 
occupation is indicative of Halide Edip’s character and strong convictions. The 
meeting is described with great patriotic empathy at the beginning of Halide Edip’s 
Ateşten Gömlek
30
.
A very emotional and vivid description of the demonstration is 
given by Sabiha Sertel
31
and an English translation of the relevant excerpt of 
Halide’s speech by Saime Göksu
32
. In 1919 Halide Edip, still trusting in president 
Wilson’s Fourteen Points, was a supporter of an American mandate as were many 
other future nationalists, such as İsmet (İnönü). In March 1920, with the Allied 
occupation of Istanbul she left the city with her husband Dr Adnan to join the 
resistance led by Mustafa Kemal as did many other supporters of the resistance in 
Anatolia. Mustafa Kemal put her in charge of the 
Anadolu Ajansı
(Anatolian Press 
Agency) whose business was to promote the nationalist cause not only in Turkey but 
abroad as well. During this time she was sentenced to death 
in absentia 
by a court 
martial in Istanbul. The list of those sentenced to death included among other 
nationalists, her husband and Mustafa Kemal
33
. In 1921 she not only served as a 
nurse near the front but was also present at headquarters at the battle of Sakarya 
1921 (she was raised to the rank of corporal so she could be there). 
The Turkish 
29
Sertel Sabiha, 10: May 1919 and Adak in Adıvar 2005, xi: 6 June 1919. In the protests other women too 
addressed the public (see Şapolyo, 22-23) but none of them attracted as much attention as Halide Edip in 
subsequent publications.
30
Adıvar 1926, 32-39 and Adıvar 1943, 21-23. More demonstrations of such kind occurred in Istanbul gave 
impetus to the 
Anadolu’ya kaçma
movement. Less if any at all is the importance given to similar demonstrations 
in other parts of the country particularly in Izmir. 
31
Sertel Sabiha, 27-8 
32
Göksü, 10-11. Nazım Hikmet and Vala Nurettin who fled to Anatolia after Halide Edip’s recommendation to 
Mustafa Kemal had attended one of the meetings on 13 January 1920. 
33
Bernard Lewis, 252 

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