Madam Atatürk

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is hailed as one of the most charismatic political leaders of the twentieth century, but little is known today about his one and only wife, Latife Hanim. A multilingual intellectual educated at the Sorbonne, Latife’s marriage to Atatürk in 1923 set her apart from her contemporaries, raising her to the pinnacle of political power. She played a central role in the creation of a modern and secular Turkey and campaigned tirelessly for women’s right to vote. Throughout her marriage, Latife stood beside her husband and acted as his interpreter, promoter and diplomatic aide. She even twice risked her own life to save his. However, after only two years of marriage, Atatürk divorced Latife and she soon disappeared from public life. She was shunned, blamed for the failure of the marriage and portrayed as a sharp-tongued, quarrelsome woman who had strained Atatürk’s nerves. Latife spent the rest of her life in seclusion. In the first biography to be written on Latife Hanim, Ipek Çalislar recounts the life of an exceptional and courageous woman, well ahead of her time, who lived through a remarkable period in Turkish history. 'Rich, surprising and profound’ Orhan Pamuk 'A daring biography’ Independent 'A unique account of the life and times of an exceptional woman’ Moris Farhi, author of Young Turk

Auteur

Born in Istanbul in 1947, Ypek Calyplar is an accomplished journalist and writer. She has worked at the prestigious daily Cumhuriyet for twelve years, first as news editor, and then, as the Sunday supplement editor. Calyplar was tried but then acquitted in Turkey for "insulting the memory of Kemal Ataturk" in this biography. She lives in Istanbul. Feyza Howell's other translations include Fiasco by Copkun Buktel, The Book of Madness by Levent Penyurek and The Concubine by Gul Yrepoolu. She lives in London.

Contenu
Foreword Introduction On SexSegregation in the Ottoman Empire Acknowledgments Translator's Notes List of Illustrations 1 Meeting 2 Latife's Family 3 The Occupation of Izmir, Latife's Hometown 4 Love Springs from the Ashes of the Great Fire 5 Mustafa Kemal Papa Proposes 6 Waiting for the Wedding 7 Zubeyde Hanym, the Mother-in-Law 8 A Purebred Arabian as an Engagement Present 9 "Get ready, we're getting married!" 10 Honeymoon 11 Arrival in Ankara, the Nationalist Base 12 The Bride who Came to the Garrison 13 Latife Entertains the Foreign Press at Cankaya 14 Touring the Country Together 15 The 'Impertinent' Bride who Wears Spurs 16 Bullet Holes in Latife's Clothes 17 Latife Wants to Stand for Parliament 18 Life at the Residence 19 The Proclamation of the Republic 20 The Groom Has a Heart Attack 21 Latife Shields her Husband with her Own Body 22 She Prepares the State Protocol 23 Women of the Time 24 The Women's Movement and Latife 25 Fikriye: The Former Consort Comes Back 26 Kick-starting the Economy 27 Autumn Tour 28 Days of Opposition 29 Was it a Love Match? 30 Divorce 31 Reverberations 32 Separation 33 Tears in Mustafa Kemal's Blue Eyes 34 Latife Supports the Opposition Party 35 A Unique Surname from Ataturk 36 The Campaign of Vilification 37 Latife Hides her Illness 38 Guarding the History of the Republic in her Safe Appendices: I Two Obituaries in the Foreign Press II An Obituary in the Turkish Press Biographical Notes Bibliography List of Illustrations Index