Childhood of April 23 Heroes: A Wonderful Art Project

April 23, when we gained our national sovereignty, is a holiday dedicated to children. Everyone living in this country has, in one way or another, a childhood memory of April 23. Well, have you ever thought about the childhood memories of our heroes who provided us with today?

With this project, which The Sanat realized in 2017, he brought up our heroes who provide us today. The project, named “Şu Çılıgın Çocuklar (Those Crazy Kids)”, focuses on the childhood of the heroes who ensured our national sovereignty, which they never experienced.

Ali Ömür Ulusoy is the creative director of the project, which was realized with 15 artists, and Nesli Meriç Sanioğlu is the art director.

You won’t be able to get enough of examining the beautiful portraits.

Artwork: Şahan Noyan

Mustafa İsmet İnönü is a Turkish soldier and politician who was a colonel in the Ottoman period, a general and former Chief of Staff in the Republican period, the first Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey after the proclamation of the republic, and the holder of the Medal of Independence. He served as President from November 11, 1938 to May 22, 1950, one day after the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Artwork: Nuri Keli

Musa Kazım Karabekir (23 July 1882, Istanbul – 26 January 1948, Ankara), born with name, Musa Kazım Zeyrek, was a Turkish soldier and politician. He is known as “Alçıtepe Hero”. He was awarded with the Red-Green Striped Medal of Independence for his achievements in the Eastern Front by being among the commanders who started the Turkish War of Independence.

Artwork: Dilek Mansur

Fatma Seher Erden (1888, Erzurum – 2 July 1955, Istanbul), or Kara Fatma, as her surname before the law, is a female soldier, hero of the War of Independence. After the First World War, when the occupation began in the country, she first formed small defense gangs with her close family circle, relatives, villagers. Then she joined the regular army with her crew. She served for three years in the War of Independence and led a 300-man detachment. She went from front to front with loads of weapons and ammunition on foot and horseback. She collided in The First and Second Battles of Inönü, Sakarya Meydan and Dumlupınar Meydan, the Battle of Dumlupınar Meydan. She is the owner of the Medal of Independence.

Artwork: Şengül Altınok

Seyit Ali Çabuk, better known as Seyit Onbaşı (September 1889 – December 1, 1939), was a Turkish soldier who fought on the Çanakkale Front during First World War. During the First World War, while he was serving at the Rumeli Mecidiye Bastion on the Çanakkale front, he managed to place 215 kilograms of artillery shells on the cannon with superhuman strength, hitting the British Battleship Ocean from the rudder, causing it to go out of control and crash into a mine. The narrative of this real event that Seyit Onbaşı lived has turned into a legendary narrative in the public imagination.

Artwork: Rıza Turker

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881 – November 10, 1938) was a Turkish soldier, statesman and the founder of the Republic of Turkey.

Artwork: Rıza Turker

Makbule Hanım from Gördes (1902, Gördes, Manisa – 17 March 1922, Akkocalı, Akhisar) is a Turkish woman who died while fighting the Greeks who occupied İzmir and its surroundings during the Turkish War of Independence.

Artwork: Semih Oduncu

Nene Hatun (b. 1857 – d. 22 May 1955, Erzurum) is a Turkish heroine who participated in defense of Aziziye in Erzurum during the 93 War and became the symbol of the popular resistance in Erzurum against the Russian occupation. When the news that the Russian soldiers had captured the Aziziye Bastion on the night of 8 November 1877 was announced from the minarets in Erzurum at the morning prayer. She joined the people of the city who fought with stones and sticks to help the Ottoman soldiers and became a legend due to the usefulness she showed. Chosen as the Mother of the Year by the Turkish Women’s Union in 1955, Nene Hatun is the first woman in Turkey to be given the title of “Mother of the Year”. She also bears the title of “Grandma of the Third Army” given by the Turkish Armed Forces.

Artwork: Yusuf Turgut

Sütçü İmam (1871 – 25 November 1922), whose real name is Imam and who was nicknamed “Sütçü” because he made a living by selling milk, is a folk hero who started the Maraş liberation struggle.

Artwork: Serhat Alparslan

Halime Çavuş (1898 – 20 February 1976) is a Turkish woman who joined the militia forces disguised as a man during the Turkish War of Independence. She took the surname Kocabıyık from the Surname Law and became Halime Kocabıyık. When Mustafa Kemal Pasha saw this soldier, who cared more about the bullets she carried to the front than her own life, he was very impressed and asked her, “Why did you cover your coat over the bullets, aren’t you cold?” posed the question. Halime said, “It doesn’t matter if I’m cold. This ammunition will protect hundreds, maybe thousands of our soldiers.” said. According to some sources, “Sir, a hundred thousand people will be saved. What will happen if I die?” spoke her words.

Artwork: Hakan Taşkıran

Hasan Tahsin or his real name Osman Nevres (1888 – May 15, 1919), is a national symbol, writer and journalist who launched the Turkish resistance by firing the first bullet from Kordonboyu to the Greek Efzon Regiment occupation soldier, consisting of elite soldiers, who landed in Izmir on May 15, 1919. .

Artwork: Esra Enis Kesicibilek

Yahya Kaptan, a member of the Patrol Society, is a gang member who is an expert in the secret organization and participates in the liberation struggle. In the period after the Armistice of Mudros, he was one of the forces of the Committee of Union and Progress, and following the decision of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the Sivas Congress to unite all the units under one roof, he moved to the Kuva-yi Milliye with his own military forces. Upon this, Atatürk was very happy, honored Yahya Kaptan and introduced him to the public.

Artwork: Gulsen Arslan Akca

Şahin Bey (1877 – 28 March 1920) was a Turkish soldier and one of the leaders of the Kuva-yi Milliye. He is one of the important names of Antep Defense. The district of Şahinbey was given its name in memory of Şahin Bey due to its outstanding usefulness in Antep Defense.

Artwork: Ecem Hatipoğlu

Halide Edib Adıvar (1882 or 1884 – 1964), Turkish writer, politician, academician, teacher. Also known as Halide Onbaşı. Halide Edib is a master orator who has made a name for herself with the speeches she made in 1919 to mobilize the people of Istanbul against the invasion of the country. Although she was a civilian who served alongside Mustafa Kemal at the front in the War of Independence, she was considered a war hero by taking the rank. During the war years, she also worked as a journalist by taking part in the establishment of Anadolu Agency.

Artwork: Murat Kara

Yörük Ali Efe or (after the Surname Law) Ali Efe Yörük (1895 – 23 September 1951) is the efe who stopped the advance of the enemy forces in the Aydın region by dealing the first blow to the enemy with the Malgaç Raid on 16 June 1919 during the Turkish War of Independence. Upon the establishment of the regular army, Yörük Ali Efe joined the Parliamentary Army with a large group under his command, which had very good war experience. He was appointed as the Commander of the National Aydın Front with the rank of Militia Miralay. At the end of the war, he was awarded the Red Stripe Medal of Independence by the Turkish Grand National Assembly for his achievements.

Artwork: Esin Karabenli

Nezahat Onbaşı (Nezahat Baysel) is a war hero who joined the Turkish War of Independence with her father when she was just a nine-year-old girl. 70. With his father, who was the commander of the regiment, he participated in the Battle of Geyve, the Konya Rebellion, the First and Second Inönü Wars, and the battles of Sakarya and Gediz. He received the appreciation of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk for his contributions to the Battle of Inönü. At the age of 12, he was promoted to corporal by the division commander Ahmet Derviş Pasha. He was the first person to be presented with the Medal of Independence with the decision of the Turkish Grand National Assembly at its session dated January 30, 1921.

Artwork: Dilek Mansur

Mehmed Ragîf, later Mehmet Akif Ersoy (20 December 1873 – 27 December 1936), was a Turkish poet, veterinarian, teacher, preacher, hafiz, Qur’an translator and politician. Mehmet Âkif Ersoy is the author of the National Anthem, the national anthem of the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He is known by the titles of “Homeland Poet” and “National Poet”. Among his most important works is Safahat, which brings together the poems of Çanakkale Epic, Nightingale and seven poetry books he published between 1911 and 1933, as well as the National Anthem. As a member of parliament during the War of Independence. It took place in the Parliament.

Artwork: Hakan Taskiran

Mustafa Fevzi Çakmak (12 January 1876 – 9 April 1950), who spent more than half of his life on the battlefields, is Turkey’s second and last marshal after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He was the first Minister of National Defense and the first chief of staff of the Turkish Armed Forces in the Republican era.

We remember him with respect, longing and gratitude.