Latife Bekir

Latife Bekir (1901-1952) was a Turkish politician, suffragist and women's rights activist.

She was educated in France, and worked as a French language teacher at a girls' school in Istanbul.

She was an important figure in Turkish feminism. In 1917, she became engaged in the Osmanlı Műdafaa-ı Hukûk-ı Nisvan Cemiyeti.

In 1924, she and Nezihe Muhiddin was the co-founders of the women's suffrage organization Türk Kadinlar Birligi. She succeeded Nezihe Muhiddin as the President of the Türk Kadinlar Birligi and held the office in 1927-1935, introducing a softer approach of collaboration with the government. As such she hosted the 12th Conference of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance in 1935. She was a supporter of the governments non-compulsory policy against veiling.[1]

She was the first women to be elected to a city council in Turkey. She was also an MP for İzmir in 1946-1950.