Mufide Ilhan
Mufide Ilhan was born in Istanbul on 19 February 1911. She is
the daughter of Nafiz Cakmak who was a martyr in Dardanalles Battle and who was
the brother of Marshal Fevzi Cakmak. Mufide Ilhan’s childhood years were spent
in Istanbul, under occupation. While she was at primary school age, she
appeared at the prescence of Ataturk, together with her uncle Fevzi Cakmak and
she kissed his hand. She studied primary school, in Ankara with the children of
the Marshal. After completing Kandilli Girls’ Highschool; by finishing Teachers’ School she became a teacher. Mufide
Ilhan served in various cities of the country as a teacher; then she went
Germany for a while; then she went Afghanistan together with her husband Dr.
Faruk Ilhan. In 1946, the family settled in Mersin, which is the hometown of
Dr. Faruk Ilhan. Upon her husband’s rejecting the offer to get involved in the
politics, Mufide Ilhan started her political life, by participating the
Democratic Party. In the September, in
local elections of 1950, she got the highest votes and she was elected
as the mayor by the members of the Municipal Council. After some time, she left
this duty and established a “Support for
the Autonomy Association” together with her friends and for a while, she made a
magazine called “Struggle” be published.
In 1955, due to Dr. Faruk Ilhan’s appointment, the family settled initially to
Izmir, then to Ankara. After her husband’s death in 1967, Mufide Ilhan went to
Berlin where her youngest daughter was studying and she worked there as a
teacher in preparation classes which prepared Turkish students to German schools,
for ten years. After returning Turkey in 1988, Mufide Ilhan assumed roles in
some Non-governmental Organisations; and for a term, she became the president
of the “Association of Mersin Highschool Graduates” in Istanbul. She made a
conference hall be built in Mersin Diabetes Hospital in her husband’s name and
she made a six-bed ward in the birth pavilion of the State Hospital. Mufide
Ilhan, the mother of seven children died in Bodrum while together with her
children, on 28 January 1996 and she was buried there. While she was in good
health, her name was given to a park, by Mersin Yenisehir Municipality. After
her death; a neighbourhood, a primary school and a gallery in Icel Art Club
were named after her name. A sculpture of her was erected in Ataturk Park by
Mersin Metropolitan Municipality. Mufide Ilhan was not a trivial person; she
was a Turkish women adhering closely to Ataturk’s Principles and the Republic. She
had shown this trait of herself all through her life with the letters she wrote
to the authoritative people, when she felt to show her criticism. She
enthusiastically reflected her love for Ataturk, the Republic and the Country;
with the poems she wrote. She had a good memory and she was a very good orator.
