Selma Rıza

Selma Rıza (5 February 1872 – 5 October 1931) was a Turkish novelist and humanitarian. She is recognized as the first female Turkish journalist. A prominent figure in the early 20th-century Ottoman social movement, she served as the general secretary of the Ottoman Red Crescent Society and was the only female member of the Committee of Union and Progress.

 Biography 
Selma Rıza was born on 5 February 1872 in Istanbul. Her father, Ali Rıza, was an Ottoman diplomat, and her mother, Naile, was an Austrian convert to Islam. She received a private education at home, becoming fluent in French. Her intellectual development was deeply influenced by her older brother, Ahmet Rıza, who was a leader of the Young Turks movement.

In 1892, at the age of twenty, Rıza wrote her first novel, Uhuvvet ("Friendship"), though it remained unpublished during her lifetime.

 Exile in Paris 
In 1898, Rıza secretly fled Istanbul for Paris to join her brother Ahmet. She studied at the Sorbonne University and remained in France for a decade. During this time, she became the only female member of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP). She contributed articles to CUP publications, including the French-language Mechveret Supplément Français and the Turkish Şûrây-i Ummet, often focusing on the social status of Muslim women.

 Return to Istanbul and Humanitarian Work 
Following the Young Turk Revolution in 1908, Rıza returned to Istanbul. She transitioned from active journalism to humanitarian work, serving as the general secretary of the Turkish Red Crescent from 1908 to 1913.

Rıza was a dedicated advocate for women's education. She played a pivotal role in converting the Adile Sultan Palace into a school for girls. Her efforts led to the establishment of the Kandilli High School for Girls, which operated in the palace until a fire in 1986.

 Later Life and Death 
During the Turkish War of Independence, Rıza was a supporter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Following the adoption of the Surname Law, her family took the name "Feraceli." She died on 5 October 1931 in Istanbul.

 Literary Works 
Though she wrote several novels, her most significant work, Uhuvvet ("Friendship"), was not published until 1999 by the Turkish Ministry of Culture, over a century after it was written.

 References 

 Other websites 


Category:1872 births
Category:1931 deaths
Category:Turkish journalists
Category:Turkish novelists