Turkish national heroine (B.1857,
Erzurum – D.1955, Erzurum). She was born in Çeperler
village of Pasinler district of Erzurum. She put her mark on history by
fighting heroically in defending theAziziye Bastion during Russo-Turkish War
(1877–1878), which is known as the ‘93 War. She joined the war leaving her
little son and 3-month-old daughter at home. At that time, she was a very young
woman who was in her twenties and got married just three years ago.
Those were the dark days of the
Russo-Turkish War. As their village was invaded by the Russian soldiers fifteen
days before, she and her family immigrated to Erzurum. Turkish army had been
fighting in many front lines. The war was continuing at Gazi Osman Pasha’s command in the western front, as for the eastern
front, it was continuing at Ahmed Muhtar Pasha’s command. Russians, whose aim
was to seize Erzurum, planned to occupy the Aziziye Bastion, which was in Top
Mountain, 10 km northeast of the city, through a sudden attack. For this
purpose, with the help of the Armenian villagers who spoke Turkish, they
stepped into action secretly, and caught a few Turkish soldiers defending the Aziziye
Bastion while they were fast asleep. They attacked at the night of 8-9 November
of 1877, and killed the guards asleep. Thus, the Russian soldiers, without any
resistance, seized the Aziziye Bastion. Among those soldiers, only one of them
survived. That soldier informed the commander of Erzurum Front Line, Ahmed
Muhtar Pasha, of this situation. Thereon, Ahmed Muhtar Pasha appealed to the
people of Erzurum for help.
In that morning, instead of morning
azan, “Muscovy entered Aziziye Bastion” utterance was heard from the minarets.
After this news came out, the people of Erzurum, both women and men, knowing
that they were going to die, started to run towards the Aziziye Bastion with
whatever they got in their hands, some of them had guns, and some of them had
axe, scythe, pickaxe, spade, stick or stone.
During that time, Nene Hatun, whose
man was fighting at the front line, was a young woman who was only twenty years
old. After breastfeeding her 3-month-old daughter who was swaddled, and telling
her son, who was a little older than her daughter, that “The one who gave you to me is Allah (god). And I entrust you to him,” she
said goodbye to her children, and took the rifle of her brother, who came back
from the front line wounded and then died, and joined the ones who were running
towards the Aziziye Bastion. When they reached the bastion, the ones who were
on the front were martyred due to the cross fire of Russians. The ones who were
at the back, instead of retreating, rushed forward more determinedly and
quickly, broke down the iron doors and entered, and a close combat started. The
Russian soldiers, who were bearing perfect arms, could hold on only for half an
hour against the people who were carrying axes, scythes, and sticks. The
bastion was recaptured by killing about 2300 Russian soldiers. As for Turkish
people, around 1000 of them were martyred.
The treatment of the ones who
remained alive immediately started. Nene Hatun was also among the wounded ones.
However, she did not mind her wounds, also forgot her baby. She tried to stanch
the blood of the other people, and dressed their wounds. Nene Hatun was recognized,
respected, and liked in such an environment. Her struggle for the protection of
the motherland, which started that night, continued until the enemy was chased
away from Erzurum. She became a legend in every inch of Erzurum by carrying
armory, being a nurse for the wounded ones, cooking, and handing out water. For
the victory of Ahmed Muhtar Pasha, the contribution of Nene Hatun and the other
civilians who shared her love of the country was great.
In another story, it is told that
Nene Hatun’s father, brother and brother-in-law joined the front line, and when
she heard that the Turks were slaughtered, she decided to fight and joined the
front line leaving her children behind. She saw the dead bodies of her father,
brother and brother-in-law on the front line and came back home. She also saw
that her 3-month-old daughter was killed by the Armenian soldiers. Then, she
killed seventeen Armenian soldiers. After the war, she led a dignified life
befitting a national heroine.
In later years, Nene Hatun, whose son was
martyred in the Gallipoli Campaign, could not join the front line when The
Turkish War of Independence as she was getting older. In 1954, with the efforts
of the army general Nurettin Baransel, she was given the title of “3. Ordunun
Nenesi” (the grand mum of the third army) and put on a small salary.
In 1955, a few months before her
death, she was chosen as the “mother of the year” by the Turkish Women’s Union.
During the NATO maneuvers in Erzurum, an American general officer, Ridgway,
visited this great person and kissed her hand. She said to this general officer
that, “I did what was needed at that
time. Although I’m old now, I will do the same thing if it is needed. I have the strength and excitement for doing
the same thing far better.” She lived until she was 98 years old as a
symbol of heroism and motherhood. She died of pneumonia on the 22nd of
May, 1955. The mausoleum of Nene Hatun, who became a symbol of the women in
war, is in the Aziziye Bastion.
REFERENCE:
Meydan Larousse Ansiklopedisi (1969-73), Büyük Larusse Ansiklopedisi (1986),
Ana Britannica Ansiklopedisi (1992), Grolier İnternational Americana
Encyclopedia (1993), Görsel Büyük Genel Kültür Ansiklopedisi (1999), İhsan Işık
/ Ünlü Kadınlar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of
Turkey’s Famous People (2013).
