Sabiha Gökçen, First Female Combat Pilot

When Gökçen was 10 years old, Turkey became a republic. As it Westernized during the presidency of her adoptive father, Kemal Atatürk, Turkish women gained more freedom, securing the right to vote in 1934. A year later, Gökçen enrolled in the Türkkusu Flight School as its first female pupil. After attending the Air Force Academy, she became the first female combat pilot. While with the Turkish Air Force, she logged some 8,000 flight hours, including combat missions. Why had Atatürk adopted her? Discuss

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