Journalist-Author and Engineer-Aviator Women from Izmir in Rebia Arif Bilgin’s Novel Kadın Tipleri (Types of Women)

Abstract

Rebia Arif Bilgin, daughter of Abdurrahman Arif, founder of the newspaper Yeni Asır, first published as Asır in Salonika, was an important female journalist and author in Izmir’s local press during Atatürk’s era. Rebia Arif, alongside Cevriye İsmail, Benal Nevzat and Hasene Nalan, took active roles in Izmir’s political life after local elections in 1930 and worked hard to raise awareness of women with their many published works. Rebia Arif was at the forefront of Yeni Asır’s editorial staff as a female novelist. In her novels, she created powerful, uninhibited and enterprising women characters who are sensitive to social and national issues. These characters are important because they reflect the spirit of Atatürk’s era. Kadın Tipleri (Types of Women) is a remarkable novel which was serialized in 1934 and included both idealist, Republican women types and degenerate female figures in public city life during the early years of the Republic. Rebia Arif encourages women entrepreneurs that newly appeared in real life by creating journalist-author, engineer-aviator women characters in this book and tries to integrate Republican achievements with practice.