In June 1923, before the Republican People’s Party had formally taken its later shape, a group led by Nezihe Muhiddin moved to establish Kadınlar Halk Fırkası—the Women’s People’s Party. The attempt did not receive official approval.
Blocked institution, continuing movement
The organisers changed legal form rather than abandoning political work. In 1924 they established Türk Kadınlar Birliği, the Turkish Women’s Union, and continued campaigns around education, participation and suffrage.
Why the refusal matters
National histories often present women’s rights as reforms delivered from above. The rejected party application complicates that image. Women were already defining political demands, building organisations and testing the boundaries of the new state.
A rejected application is still a political document. It records both the demand and the authority that feared its timing.
