Evening star., 1949-06-04
Women Of Turkey See
Democracy as Way 10
Think Work and Learn
Even Peosonts Becoming
Politically ond Socially
Minded, Observer Finds
By Dorothy Thompson

By Dorothy Thompson
TSTANBUL.-(By Airmail, De-
layedJ-Turkey, which turned
her face toward the West in 1928.
became. during the war and
since, more Western and more
democratic. This is partly because
the Turkish people are convinced
that the democracies Gin which
they do not include the Soviet
Union) won the war. At the cross
roads where they stand, they are
in position to judge the diplom-
acy. power and propaganda of the
various contending powers.
There are many signs Of this
Western outlook, but 1t is, think.
particularly noticeable-and SEN
sational-in the position Of
Turkish women. I went to Turkey
from Greece, where the position
of women reflects 400 years Of
Turkish occupation. Greek peas
ant women-like Turkish and
Italian peasant women-work like
slaves. An American agricultural
expert in Greece told me that a
Greek peasant, II he is well-to-do.
possesses two draft animals: a
horse or a donkey, and his wife.
49,. Patriarchal Families.
The Greek village family is
patriarchal. and even in the
cities-in Athens and Salonika-I
women take relatively little part
in public life. There are, Of course,
exceptions. and the influence of
the queen has modified many
women into social work. One,
also, Is an editor of the leading
Athens newspaper Cit is owned by
her father.
But even the Turkish peasant
women are becoming politically
minded. One had tussle with
the gendarmerie in the last elec-
ton because the ballot box was
being carried OF for secret count
ing. And she got it back! And the
urban Turkish women are re-
markable. Though only % years
ago they were living In the semi
harem atmosphere of the Middle
East. 1t is as though getting rid
of the semi-veiling headdress un-
shackled their hands, brains and
feet.
I met women journalists, law
yers. physicians. teachers. A paper
is published in Istanbul that has
the unique distinction Of being
edited by women with only women
contributors. An adopted daugh-
ter of Mustapha Kemal Ataturk is
an aviatrix teaching men pilots.
These women speak French, Ger
man or English, not to conduct
social conversations but to follow
their professions in the languages
of the West.
Turkish women enjoy every civil
and political right possessed by
men, and there are more in the
Turkish parliament than in the
United States Congress! The di-
vorce laws are more liberal than
in many States of the Union. They
have full property and legacy
rights--a daughter inherits equally
with son. None of these things
Is true of any other country in the
Middle East except Israel.
Eager Questioners.
Istanbul, in its trinity of waters.
with its mosques and bazaars and
oriental splendors. has all the as
poets of an oriental. city. So it is
a rather strange and delightful
experience to be taken to visit the
serial of the sultans-that fam
tastic city of Ottoman palaces. part
of it dating from times when the
half moon flew over the whole
Middle East and much of Europe,
and, while observing the women's
quarters of the '1arem with a
woman archelogist, to be led by
her into observations about the
Atlantic pact, the work of the
ECA. and the possibility of con-
federation of Europe. recalling
that George Wadsworth, the
American Ambassador, remembers
the sensation created when a
daughter of the last sultan danced
at ball!
Admittedly the emancipation of
women has as yet involved chiefly
the middle class. One still sees
peasant women on the roads, with
their heads and mouths swathed
in the old fashion-accompanied
by bare-headed daughters in
bobby socks. But the Turkish ideal
is universal primary education
(not yet achieved and higher
education for talented youth, with
no discrimination between boys
and girls.
And an American woman will
find nowhere in Europe more
eager, intelligent questioners and
takers. Democracy means for
Turkish women freedom to think,
work, learn.
released by the Bell Syndicate. Incl