Seza Polar (Üçer)
"You cannot sidetrack a woman from her path"
Date of Birth: No information available
Place of Birth:
Date of Death: 20/11/1990 1990
Place of Death: Istanbul
Burial Site: Zincirlikuyu Cemetery, Istanbul
Field of Activity
Journalism
"The value of a civilization is proportional to the status of the women in that society. As long as women can freely exercise their natural talents, they always aid in the advancement of societies. When their roles are diminished, it causes the fall of civilizations."
Seza Polar, Diyane, 10 March 1920,
quoted in: Mahinur Tuna, "Seza Puh, Diyane Dergisi", jinepsgazetesi.com, 1.1. 2011.
Seza Polar's women's magazine Diyane (Mother of the Nation) was in Circassian and Turkish. It was first published on March 10th, 1920. Editor in chief of the magazine was Ms Hayriye Melek Hunç.
The magazine Diyane was issued twice a month as the publication of The Circassian Women's Association. It was a sociological, literary and scientific magazine. One of the first issues is in the collection of Mehmet Şevki Eygi; the other example is in the Hakki Tarik Us Collection of the Central Library Beyazıt Devlet Kütüphanesi in Istanbul.
Mahinur Tuna, who researched the history of the magazine, says that the number of issues is not known. The first issue was translated into modern Turkish by Fikri Tuna and was published in 2004.Seza Polar as Educationist
Seza Polar was the principal of the Circassian Experimental School (Çerkes Numune Okulu) in İstanbul. She also taught geography at the same school.
The Circassian Experimental School was the first muslim school in the Ottoman Empire to practise co-education and to use the Latin alphabet. Classes were taught in Turkish and Circassian.
Awards
Memberships
- Circassian Women's Support Association (Çerkes Kadınları Teavün Cemiyeti)
- Association for the Advancement of Peasant Children (Köy Çocuklarını Yükseltme Derneği)
- Association for the Education of Peasant Children (Köy Çocuklarını Eğitme Derneği)
Education
Contributions to Society
- 1918Circassian Women's Support Association (Çerkes Kadınları Teavün Cemiyeti), founder member and treasurer
- 1964Association for the Advancement of Peasant Children (Köy Çocuklarını Yükseltme Derneği), founder member
- 1980Association for the Education of Peasant Children (Köy Çocuklarını Eğitme Derneği), founder member
Family and Friends
- Mother:Melek Nazmi
- Father:Pooh Nazmi Paşa (general)
- Sister:Gülseren Polar
- Brothers: Zeki Polar (author), Abdurrahman Polar
- Husband:Hakkı Üçer (general)
- Friends:İzzet Paşa (historian), Hayriye Melek Hunç (authoress), Makbule Berzek (Circassian Women's Support Association, founder member), Emine Reşit Zalique (Circassian Women's Support Association, founder member), Faika Hanım (Circassian Women's Support Association, founder member), Harun Blenaw Harun (pedagogue), Lami Cankat (pedagogue), Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Bülent Ecevit (politician, poet)
Commemorative Projects
Publication
Further Reading
- Mahinur Tuna, "Seza Puh, Diyane Dergisi", jinepsgazetesi.com (access 12.2.2012).
- Soner Daur Koçsav, "Seza Polar (Üçer) Hanımefendi Anısına", sonerdaur.blogcu, 15.8.2009, http://sonerdaur.wordpress.com/ ve http://sonerkocsav.blogcu.com/seza-polar-ucer-hanimefendi-anisina/5941137 (access 12.2.2012).
- Seza Polar Üçer'in ölüm ilanı, Milliyet Gazetesi 21.11.1990.
- Erol Karayel, "Kuruluşundan Kapanışına Çerkes Kadınları Teavün Cemiyeti", kafkasevi.com, http://www.kafkasevi.com/index.php/article/detail/441 (access 12.2.2012).
- Vasfi Güsar, "İstanbul Çerkes Kadınları Teavün Cemiyeti", Kafkasya Kültürel Dergi, Ankara, 1975, No. 48.
- Fikri Tuna (Ed.) Diyane, As Yayın, Istanbul, 2004.
- Mahinur Tuna, "Diyane", facebook.com, http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=273196932735133&set=a.273195536068606.82362.273181632736663&type=1&theater (access 29.4.2012)
Sources
Quoted Sources
- See the "Further Reading" section
- Mahinur Tuna, "Diyane", facebook.com,http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=273196932735133&set=a.273195536068606.82362.273181632736663&type=1&theater (29.4.2012)
Source of Visual Images
Translation into English: Emre Aslay, Chicago llinois, USA Editing: Mary Waegner, Fürth, Bavaria, Germany ©2012 Meral Akkent