Halide Edip Adıvar was one of the best‑known symbols of the modern, pro‑Western daughters of the Republic of Turkey. Through her own life and work, she exemplified how Turkish women should change. One of her greatest works is “The Daughter of Smyrna” (“Ateşten Gömlek”); its story takes place during the war of independence. Women participated in the fight and they encouraged the fighters, similarly to Ayşe, the character from the novel. They were the symbol of Anatolia and Turkey.
In the article, the context of the war of independence is briefly sketched. Then, the figure of Halide Edip is presented with the special attention paid to the period of her fight by Mustafa Kemal’s side. In the last part, the figures of the women presented in the book are analysed. The important questions asked in the article concern the similarities between the author and the characters created by her and how modern Turkish women living in the Republic of Turkey at the beginning of its existence should have looked.