Sultanahmet demonstrations

Demonstration on May 23

The Sultanahmet demonstrations (Turkish: Sultanahmet Mitingleri) were a series of rallies in 1919 held in Istanbul to protest the occupation of the Ottoman Empire following the Armistice of Mudros, especially the occupation of Izmir by Greek forces after the First World War. The largest of the demonstrations took place in the Sultanahmet neighborhood on 23 May 1919, with 200,000 people attending.

The first demonstration was organized in front of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Fatih, in March 1919 by İnâs Darülfünunu (Women's University) and the Association of Modern Women (Turkish: Asri Kadınlar Cemiyeti). On 19 May 1919, another protest was organized in Fatih by the Turkish Hearths and attended by 50,000. On 20 May and 22 May, demonstrations were held in Üsküdar and Kadıköy respectively, organized by the Association of Modern Women.[1]

Many important figures of the Ottoman Empire participated, such as Mehmet Emin Yurdakul, Halide Edib Adıvar, Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıöver, Rıza Nur, Selim Sırrı Tarcan, İsmayıl Hakkı Baltacıoğlu, Fahreddin Hayri Bey, Kemal Mithad, Şükûfe Nihal Başar, and Madam Jeannine (a French Lady), who all called resistance against the foreign invasion.

Halide Edip was a major speaker during the Sultanahmet demonstration on 23 May 1919, stating the following:

> Muslims! Turks! The Turk and the Muslim are now experiencing their darkest day. Night, a dark night. But there is no night without morning in life. Tomorrow we will create a glittering morning, tearing this terrible night. Women! We have now no tools such as cannons, guns; but a greater and a stronger weapon, we have; Hak and Allah. Guns and cannons may be lost, but Hak and Allah are everlasting. We, with our men, ask for the strongest, most intelligent, most courageous cabinet from our own heart that will represent us the best.[2][3]

The demonstrations were symbolic for the national awakening for Turks to carry out the Turkish War of Independence. They were also key to the women's rights movement and feminism in Turkey, as women's activism and greatly increased visibility during the War of Independence constituted a turning point, greatly contributing to the expansion of women's rights.[1]

## See also

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* Turkish War of Independence
* Occupation of Smyrna

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Kaymaz, İhsan Şerif (2010). "Social Status of Woman: The Touchstone of the Contemporary Civilization". Ankara Üniversitesi Türk İnkılâp Tarihi Enstitüsü Atatürk Yolu Dergisi (in Turkish) (46): 333–366. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
2. ^ "Halide Edib Adıvar." Woman Writers of Turkey. Ozyegin University, n.d. Web. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
3. ^ Arabaci, Hacı Murat. "Milli Mücadelenin Hazırlık Safhasında Halide Edib Adıvar'ın Faaliyetleri Ve Mustafa Kemal Atatürk." Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Dumlupınar Üniversitesi. Dumlupınar Üniversitesi, 19 December 2007. Web. Retrieved 4 August 2013.

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Turkish War of Independence

Concepts|

* Partition of the Ottoman Empire
* Khilafat Movement
* King–Crane Commission

National
awakening|

* Turkish National Movement
* Karakol society
* Sultanahmet demonstrations
* Amasya Circular
* Erzurum Congress
* Balıkesir Congress
* Alaşehir Congress
* Sivas Congress
* Amasya Protocol
* Grand National Assembly

Elections|

* Ottoman Parliament (1919)
* Grand National Assembly (1920)
* Grand National Assembly (1923)

Issues|

* Amasya trials
* United States during the Turkish War of Independence
* Bombardment of Samsun
* Chanak crisis
* Fire of Manisa
* Burning of Smyrna
* Responsibility
* Kaç Kaç incident
* Malta exiles
* Media
* Menemen massacre
* Personae non gratae
* Ankara Government and Georgia
* Population exchange
* Samsun deportations
* Yalova Peninsula massacres

Campaigns|

| British|

* Istanbul
* Al-Jazeera Front
* First Offensive of Sulaymaniyah
* Taşlıca
* Tal Afar uprising
* Battle of Babaçiçek
* Özdemir Operation
* Köysancak
* Eskişehir (1920)
* Samsun
* Şehzadebaşı raid
* Akbaş
* Summer Offensive of 1920
* Chanak crisis
* Liberation of Istanbul

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Revolts|

* Koçgiri rebellion
* Konya rebellion
* Kuva-yi Inzibatiye
* Battle of Geyve
* Revolt of Ahmet Anzavur
* Yozgat

Armenia|

* Oltu
* Sarıkamış
* Kars
* Alexandropol

French|

* Marash
* Urfa
* Aintab
* Karboğazı
* Kaç Kaç
* Kovanbaşı
* Kanlıgeçit
* Fadıl
* Alemdar Incident

Greek|

* Smyrna, 1919 (Occupation)
* Urla
* Malgaç
* Bergama
* Erbeyli
* Erikli
* Tellidede
* Aydın
* Summer Offensive of 1920
* Gediz
* 1st İnönü
* 2nd İnönü
* Eskişehir
* Sakarya
* Great Offensive
* Dumlupınar
* Liberation of Balıkesir
* Capture of Smyrna

U.S.|

* Bombardment of Samsun
* Liberation of Istanbul

Georgia|

* Artvin (1919)
* Artvin (1921)
* Ardahan
* Batumi

Agreements|

| Allies|

* Conference of London (1921–1922)
* Conference of London (1920)
* San Remo conference
* Paris Peace Conference

|

Ottoman|

* Misak-ı Millî
* Treaty of Sèvres

National
Assembly|

* Treaty of Alexandropol
* Treaty of Moscow
* Conference of London (1920)
* Cilicia Peace Treaty
* Treaty of Ankara
* Treaty of Kars
* Conference of London (1921–1922)
* Armistice of Mudanya
* Conference of Lausanne
* Treaty of Lausanne

Timeline

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Protests in Turkey

* Kum Kapu demonstration (1890)
* Sultanahmet demonstrations (1919)
* 28–29 April protests (1960)
* 555k protests (1960)
* 15–16 June demonstrations in Turkey (1970)
* February 1999 Kurdish protests (1999)
* Republic Protests (2007)
* December 2009 Kurdish protests (2009)
* Protests against İsken Sugözü power station (2010s)
* 2011–2012 Kurdish protests (2011–2012)
* Protests against Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (2011–2015)
* Cerattepe protests (2015–2016)
* 2012 Istanbul rally to commemorate the Khojaly massacre (2012)
* Gezi Park protests (2013)
* 2014 Kobanî protests (2014)
* Protests against Emba Hunutlu power station (2017–2018)
* 2017 March for Justice (2017)
* Istanbul Airport protests (2018)
* Protests against Çayırhan power station (2019–2020)
* Mothers of Diyarbakır (2019–2020)
* 2021 Boğaziçi University protests (2021)
* 2025 Turkish protests (2025)

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