On 23 May 1919, a large crowd gathered in Sultan Ahmet Square in the center of Istanbul. Facing them was one of the most famous female figures of modern Turkish history. Since that day, the gathering has come to symbolize the call by the masses for change in the structure of authority and their protest against the 15 May occupation of Izmir by Greek expeditionary forces. Not only has this gathering taken on a mythical aura, but so has the image of Halide Edib, the woman who faced the crowd that day.