Who is Martyr Şerife Bacı from Kastamonu?

Heroic Women of Turkey in the War of Independence:

The National Struggle is not just a men's war. There are such women who took part in the War of Independence that their heroism is unforgettable.

Turkey knows Halide Edip Adıvar. But there are also many women who are unknown heroes of the War of Independence. Gazi Major Ayşe from Izmir resisted the Greek. Gördesli Makbule was martyred in the conflict. Kara Fatma from Erzurum formed a union of women and captured 25 Greek soldiers, one of whom was an officer. Nezahat Onbaşı is a war hero who joined the Turkish War of Independence with her father when she was a nine-year-old girl when she was left without her mother and received the rank of corporal at the age of 12. Tayyar Rahmiye from Osmaniye, who was martyred in the attack against the French, and Gang Emir Ayşe, who was among the heroines of the Aydınlı War of Independence, are among the unforgettable.

Kastamonu Heroes of the War of Independence:

This is a fact: Undoubtedly, Kastamonu Pasha Sanjak, which Katip Çelebi defined as Kaide-i Türkmen (Sinop, Çankırı, Kastamonu and Bolu Sanjaks), formed the backbone of the Çanakkale and Independence Wars. This corresponds to 8-10 provinces that draw the current Western Black Sea borders.

The heroines of this region are also famous. In particular, "Eyes are on Sakarya, Dumlupınar, ears are on İnebolu:" Eyes are on Turkish women from Kastamonu. Because the village has already become 'Ersizlerdere'.

Hafız Selman İzbeli, who always said "I am a republican" and learned to read and write with the New Turkish Alphabet after the war, is an aristocratic woman who organized women in the War of Independence. When offered to become a member of parliament, she refused, as she would have to take off her headscarf. This is an early Republican example of the Classical Kastamonu Stance.

Halime Sergeant, who participated in the War of Independence despite her family's disapproval, joined the militia in the guise of a man. While carrying the weapons and ammunition of the İnebolu-Ankara-Sakarya line with ox carts, he would be one of those who drew the Independence Road, which allows the incoming weapons to reach the Anatolian fronts: "Why did you cover your coat over the bullets, aren't you cold?" Asked M. Kemal Pasha, Halime Sergeant said, “Sir, a hundred thousand people will be saved. What if I'm going to die?" it is in the ears.

The hero of the War of Independence and Cideli Rahime Kaptan, who inspired Rıfat Ilgaz's novel Halime Kaptan, is one of the "Yellow Written" heroes who brought the future to the Independence Road. She lived at the time when the Sehriban Stream was in full swing. More than 11,000 of the 33,000-strong district were recruited, and more than half of them never returned. Just like the three sons of Sari Seyin were martyred… When the men of military age were on duty, the duty fell to the women, as in Cide. A century later, the women of the Western Black Sea are now fighting against the invaders in Ukraine. Admittedly, it was much tougher a hundred years ago. There is one of them, which was real, became a legend.

Şerife Bacı:

When Mehmet Akif ERSOY saw the Turkish woman singing the National Anthem with ox-carts on the Küre and Ilgaz mountains, her faith in her people increased, she wrote, "I will tear the mountains, I will not fit in the vastness". "Don't be afraid," said she, "of monsters with one tooth left", "I have lived free since eternity, I live free, I'd be surprised what madman would chain me," cried she. Because the pedestal was standing in its place, which did whatever was necessary for this, without saying a woman or a man. "Article! nameless, obscure, heroes. While you are alive, the homeland will exist.”

“Mustafa Kemal's Cartridge” by Fazıl Hüsnü DAĞLARCA was describing Elif on the Road to Independence… Elif was undoubtedly Şerife Bacı, one of the heroic Turkish women. They weren't even registered before they reached school age. Was her daughter Elif or Sıdıka? Who knows? In the past, love and heroism were lived in silence, she. The truth was that Kastamonu, along with the old men and women, played a major role in transporting the munitions from the Western Black Sea coast to Ankara and Sakarya. So much so that Halime, like Sergeant, draped her sweater over the ammunition so that the ammunition would not get wet, and hugged her so that her baby would not freeze from the cold while her milk was in her mouth. And finally, in the winter of 1921-1922, at the age of 21, she disappeared into the mist she had fallen behind. She froze to death from the cold. However, with his courage and sacrifices, he saved his daughter, his people and the hopes of his nation. There weren't any soldiers left in Ersizdekire anyway. There were always women behind the ammunition loaded on oxcarts from İnebolu to Kastamonu. Each of them was Şerife Bacı. Same soul, same stance, same stance.

The Serife Bacı Incident in Nurettin Peker's "Kastamonu in the War of Independence" (1955):

“As this incident took place in front of the people of the city, everyone was upset. She cried.” Emphasizing that, 34 years after the event, the author tells the following with concrete names:

“According to what Cemil Patlaban, one of the officers in charge of that day and one of the traders of Kastamonu today, tells (This epic is still alive among the people), in December 1921, the sudden snowfall blocked the roads, and the vehicles going to the front took shelter in nearby inns and villages before the night.

On such a stormy night, while waiting for the news of the land, as is the case with those who were under the snow until the morning, the sad sight of the first person who went to an ox cart with ammunition that could only come to the front of Kastamonu Barracks with the love of the country despite the snow type was terrifying. When the person who saw the incident informed the barracks, Osman Bey, the inspector of the Range District, immediately rushed to the place of the Deputy Head of the Central Police Department, Cemil from Devrekani and Rıfat Sergeants from Beşiktaş.

Somehow, it was understood that a young woman who had lagged behind the caravan could only come to the front of the barracks in a tired state with her cart loaded with ammunition, and she froze on the side of the road in the morning before she had the chance to enter the city. It has been seen by the duty officials that this young woman, who covered her quilt to protect the precious cargo in this cart, whose ox ruminated, stayed with a gondola in one hand, holding her arms open and leaning on the quilt. While Rıfat Sergeant's oxen were running, Cemil Sergeant swept the snow on the martyr and both of them were stunned when they heard a cry from under the quilt while they were holding their arms and legs while they were shedding tears. And they pulled the martyred mother to the side and immediately removed the quilt. The masterpiece they saw was the following.

A swaddling girl in sackcloth wrapped in grass among the cannonballs got rid of the frost and started to cry for the breast upon the intervention. The sergeants who placed this heroic mother and her baby, who sacrificed herself for the sake of her ammunition and her baby, set out on the road at sunrise, crying alone. The oxen were hungry and weak and could not pull. The sergeants were rushed. They helped the oxen. They proudly and proudly carried this holy and majestic burden to the front of the party circle. The commander and his entourage came to the car. Commander Osman Bey, who had a moment of silence in honor, shed tears in front of this sad picture (Turkish woman is a heroic mother who has no precedent in the world. She is such a mother that many heroes have given birth to cihangirs in history.

Friends... The greatest example of the fact that we will win the National Struggle is here, one of them is dead and the other is alive) and could not speak more out of sadness.

Cemil Sergeant, who knows Kastamonu well, was assigned to determine the identity of the martyr mother, by providing the milk mother for the baby and the cost of shrouding the dead by the municipality. Cemil Sergeant discovered his village from the tawny apron of the martyr and the czar with the skin on his head, wandered around the inns, and found and brought the villagers of Seydiyas. They also knew. They cried. And they took this martyr mother and her baby to their villages by pressing on their breasts.”

The last line is specially chosen to describe the silent heroes:

“In the War of Independence, there are no mothers, fathers, or offspring whose names are not known.

Civil Society Movements in Istanbul in a Snowy Winter After a Hundred Years

In the first three months of 2022, there is a snowy and harsh season. Despite this dark winter and being stranded on the roads for 13 hours, two important events stood out in Istanbul, the most beautiful city of the Western Black Sea Region and the world. One, on January 23, the compatriot associations of the Western Black Sea region came together for the first time in their history, despite the extremely harsh winter and snow. The second was the Martyr Şerife Bacı Documentary.

In the last month, Martyr Şerife Bacı has taken an important place not only in my life, but also in the lives of our friends from Kastamonu and even from the Western Black Sea Region.

Şerife Bacı Documentary

The Federation, which organized the event on this subject, made a press release. The purpose, goal, process was explained, participation and acceptance was very high: “While the men of Kastamonu who could hold a gun during the years of the National Struggle, fought against the enemy on all fronts, the women of Kastamonu showed so much valor and heroism that they did not leave their men behind when it comes to the homeland and nation. The "hope boxes" coming from the sea crossed the Küre Mountains on the back of Şerife Bacı with oxcarts in the harsh winter conditions, but since Şerife Bacı sacrificed herself to deliver ammunition to the front, she surrendered her soul in the Küre Mountains. This Martyr Turkish Woman has been the best historical example of what was sacrificed for future generations.

We wanted to be a spark for the recognition of this historical value and share it with future generations. As Kastamonu's sons, we cooperated with Kastamonu Associations Federation (Kas-Der-Fed) and Kastamonu Art Board. We completed the shooting of the documentary film, which we prepared for the 100th anniversary of Şerife Bacı's death, in 2021 in İnebolu, Küre and Seyçiler. Our aim in shooting this historical documentary was to keep alive the memory of Martyr Şerife Bacı, who walked to her death on the "Independence Road" during the years of the National Struggle (1921), and to pass it on to new generations. We had the premiere of the documentary we produced on Friday, March 4, 2022, at Bağlarbaşı Cultural Center, to our esteemed guests.

As Kastamonu Federation of Associations, it is our greatest joy to keep alive the memory of Martyr Şerife Bacı, who walked to her death on the Independence Road, and to pass on these blessed values ​​to new generations, with this historically valuable project that raises awareness and ownership of the people of the region. We present the Martyr Sheriff Bacı Documentary to all Turkish women, especially to our people. We hope and wish that our voices will be heard: In this period when violence against women is very intense today, we hope that many of our heroic women in history have made sacrifices so that we can live freely and peacefully on this land, and we hope that it will be a lighthouse that will shed light on the new generations that will carry it forward.”

Şerife Bacı Is Going To Become A National Icon Through The Western Black Sea Region.

With the participation of Şerife Bacı Documentary Gala, it has ceased to be an urban icon and has become a national symbol through regionalism. The list of participants from Kastamonu, which is included in the same statement, and a substantial number of participants, supports this tremendously:

“As the Kastamonu Associations Federation (from local governments) in the documentary film we screened and shared with you on the 101st Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Martyr Şerife Bacı;

- Mayor of Sarıyer, who provided logistics support, Mr. Sukru YOUNG,

- Üsküdar Mayor Mr. Hilmi TÜRKMEN and his assistant Mr. Esat TIN,

- Darica Mayor Mr. Muzaffer BIYIK,

- Mr. Şerife ŞAHİN, President of Şerife Bacı Culture and Survival Association,

- Kastamonu Art Board Mr. Yılmaz CESUR, who is the director of the documentary and our project partner,

- All Non-Governmental Organizations Confederation and Tümbikon President, who provided press and logistics support. Cevdet AKAYA and Tumbikon Vice President Mr. Arif EKŞİ,

- BRT TV family Mr. Mehmet ÇETİNKAYA to Osman ÇETİNKAY

- Hospice President Mr. Hamza CEBECI,

- Chairman of the Confederation of All Non-Governmental Organizations, Mr. To Cevdet AKAY,

- Chairman of the Western Black Sea Equal Opportunity Association (BAKFED), Mr. Assoc. Dr. Selahattin ATEŞ, Vice Presidents Mr. Orhan Gümüş and Mr. Ersavas Yellow,

- President of the Science and Technology Association, Mr. Ramazan BAKKAL,

-Turkish Standards Institute and TUMBIFED President Mr. Mehmet HÜSREV,

- Istanbul Bolu Associations President Mr. Mustafa AYDEMIR,

- The President of the Southeast Culture and Art Association, Mrs. Fatma GEYIK,

- President of Amasya Associations Federation, Mr. İsmail AKTAŞ,

- President of Şanlıurfa Business People's Association, Mr. Sami CIRIS,

- Former National Football Player Mr. Hayri ULGEN,

- The former manager of the National Team, Mr. Can COBANOGLU,

- Secretary General of CEBI Foundation, Mr. Ayşe CEBI,

- GMMD President Mr. Hakan ULVER,

- Mr. Işılay REIS TIRED,

- State Theater Artist Mr. Ozlem GUVELI,

- Provincial President of East Southeast Associations, Mr. Osman KIZILCA,

-Civil Ball Platform Chief Mr. Fuat BODUR,

- Rize Foundation President Mr. Recep ALBAYRAK,

- Marmara Business People Council Commission Chief 

blood Mr. Cem SANAL,

On behalf of the Kastamonu Associations Federation Board of Directors, we would like to thank all the heads of the Federation and all associations from our Kastamonu Province and other provinces, and to all Turkish women and people for their valuable participation..."

It can be seen that Şerife Bacı's name has been embraced not only by Kastamonu, but also by the Western Black Sea community in the second density and from all over Turkey in the third density.

Expansion with 'Gaffe'

The blunders of politicians are notorious. While one says that we opened a university that was opened 14 years ago, the other confuses the tall people, and the other is their hometown… These are called political blunders. The last mentioned blunder has been talked about a lot. However, the British have a saying: “Any publicity is a good publicity”. It can be translated as "advertisement is advertisement".

After that, Şerife Bacı is from Zonguldak, from Sinop, from Bolu, from the Western Black Sea. The premiere of Şerife Bacı Documentary proved this.

Şerife Bacı is an important part of the western Black Sea identity. Hero is the symbol of Turkish woman.

There is no Şerife Bacı, there is Şerife Bacılar.

There are silent sufferings.