The Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-1878, known as the 93 War, is one of the important wars in Ottoman history. In this war, Nene Hatun showed great heroism at a young age and became the symbol of courage and heroism of Turkish women. The news of the capture of the Aziziye Bastion by the Russian soldiers on the night of 8 November 1877 in Erzurum was announced from the minarets in the morning prayer. Nene Hatun participated in the struggle of the people of the city with stones and sticks. She is legendary for her bravery and usefulness.
Chosen as the “Mother of the Year” by the Turkish Women’s Union in 1955, Nene Hatun became the first woman in Turkey to receive this title. In addition, the “3. She also bears the title of “Grandmother of the Army”. Because of Nene Hatun’s courage, the NATO Armies Commander-in-Chief, American General Matthew Ridgway, visited her in Erzurum and kissed her hand. This event brought more recognition to the name “Nene Hatun”, which showed that the heroic Turkish woman could make all the sacrifices for her country.
The Life of Nene Hatun
Nene Hatun was born in the Çeperli village of Erzurum in 1857. His father is known as Hüseyin and his mother as Zeliha. As the Russian army occupied Pasinler and advanced towards Erzurum, Nene Hatun and her husband immigrated to Erzurum, like many people. At the time of Aziziye’s defense, she was 20 years old and married to Mehmet Efendi from her village. Although Nene Hatun was a young mother during the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-1878, “God gave me this baby, God takes care of it.” He left his baby in the cradle and ran to the front with the people of Erzurum. After the Russians occupied the bastions of Erzurum after the Deveboynu war, he participated in the defense of the city and showed great usefulness.
After the war, Nene Hatun and her family settled in Erzurum and started to live in house number 35 on Henna Street in Eminkurbu District. In 1934, when the Surname Law was enacted, they took the surname Kırkgöz. Nene Hatun had six children; His four sons are Yusuf, Nazım, Abdurrahman, Musa and his two daughters Asime and Nevriye. His two sons died in World War I. In 1937, Cumhuriyet newspaper’s Istanbul correspondent introduced him to Turkey through an interview with journalist İsmail Habib Sevük, Nene Hatun and other 93 War veterans.
During the construction of the Aziziye Monument in 1952, Nene Hatun came to the fore again. The Commander of the 9th Corps, Lieutenant General Refik Koraltan, the Commander of the Third Army, whose headquarters is in Erzurum, Nurettin Baransel Pasha, the mayor of the time, the governor of Erzurum, and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey supported Nene Hatun. In the celebrations of the 30 August Victory, in 1952 he was given the “3. She was given the title of “Grandmother of the Army”. With the initiative of the Turkish Women’s Union, when the first Mother’s Day was celebrated in Turkey in 1955, the Union gave the title of “Mother of the Year” to Nene Hatun.
Nene Hatun died at the age of 98 on May 22, 1955 in Erzurum Numune Hospital, where she was treated for pneumonia. His body was buried in Aziziye Martyrdom with an official ceremony.
War Story of Nene Hatun
The Ottoman Empire showed tremendous resistance to Russian invasions. In Pleven, Osman Pasha displayed an unforgettable resistance and Ahmet Muhtar Pasha’s fame spread in the Caucasus. However, despite all this resistance, the Russians continued their advance. Finally, Russian forces reached Istanbul-Yeşilköy (Ayestefanos) in the west and Erzurum in the east. This is where Nene Hatun’s story began.
On the night of November 8, 1877, Armenian gangs from the region entered the Aziziye Bastion in the guise of Turkish soldiers and martyred the Turkish soldiers guarding the bastion. Russian soldiers from behind captured the bastion without encountering any resistance. However, one soldier managed to survive the raid with injuries and conveyed the black news to the people of Erzurum. Right after the morning prayer, the people of the city from the minarets said, “The Muscovite soldier captured the Aziziye Bastion.” An announcement was made and an invitation to jihad was made. Many people, like Nene Hatun, who loved their homeland and God, rushed to jihad and fought to protect their honor.
Erzurum people of all ages, who did not even have weapons for the defense of the homeland, ran towards the Bastion with everything they had. On that day, when everyone, men and women, took to the streets, Nene Hatun also joined the fight under the leadership of Arif Bey. Granny Hatun; While describing the unforgettable blows they inflicted and the epic moments of their legendary struggles, she states that her husband told her to stay at home to take care of her children, but entrusted her son to Allah and took his line and ran towards the bastions.
When the people of Erzurum reached the Aziziye Bastion, they lost many martyrs as a result of the intense fire opened by the Russian army. However, instead of retreating, the people, who rushed forward more decisively, broke through the iron gates and entered into a hand-to-hand battle with the Russians. Although the Russian army was equipped with excellent weapons, it could only last half an hour against the people of Erzurum with ax-scythes, stones and sticks, and about 2300 soldiers were killed. The Turks, on the other hand, gave about 1000 martyrs.
The rest immediately began treating their wounds. Nene Hatun was among those injured. However, he was doing his best to stop the blood of the other wounded and to bandage their wounds, ignoring his injuries and forgetting his baby at home. Nene Hatun was recognized, respected and loved in this environment. His struggle for the homeland continued until the enemy was completely driven out of Erzurum. She became a legend by carrying ammunition in every corner of Erzurum, nursing the wounded, cooking, distributing water, and running from service to service.
