Sabiha Özar, who became a teacher on Atatürk's advice, passes away at 108

Özar, who lived in the Dikili district of İzmir with her son Ersun Özar and had been receiving treatment at a hospital for some time, passed away in the morning due to heart failure.

Her son, Ersun Özar, expressed his sorrow over his mother's death to an AA reporter and said that he felt great happiness in being her son.

'SHE STRIVED TO BE AN ATATÜRKIST TEACHER'

Stating that his mother adopted the philosophy that "both birth and death are facts of life; what matters is how you live and what you do between these two realities," Özar said, "My mother lived within the framework of this philosophy. She raised statesmen and artists. Atatürk gave my mother the instruction, 'I want to see you as a teacher in the future.' My mother fought for that throughout her life. She embraced teaching. Throughout her life, she strived to be an Atatürkist teacher. She worked as a soldier of the Republic's army of intellectuals," he said.

Teacher Sabiha had witnessed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's visit to Konya on March 22, 1923, at the station, appeared in the photograph taken that day, and had stated that she made the decision to become a teacher on that day.

Born in Konya and having stepped into teaching after graduating from the Bursa Teachers' School, Özar retired after working for 42 years to raise young generations in different provinces of Anatolia.

SHE HAD WITNESSED THE FOUNDING OF THE REPUBLIC

In October 2022, Özar shared many interesting memories with AA, ranging from the proclamation of the Republic to her encounters with Atatürk.

Explaining that she fulfilled Atatürk's advice to "study and become a teacher," which he gave while patting her head, Özar had stated that she also had the opportunity to see the Great Leader in Ankara while she was a middle school student attending the 10th-anniversary celebrations of the Republic, and in Bursa, where she was studying at the teachers' school, during the opening of the Merinos Factory.

Özar also recounted her memories regarding the period when the Republic was proclaimed, pointing out that signals of the transition to the Republican regime had been given beforehand.

Stating that they were grateful to Atatürk for the proclamation of the Republic, Özar had expressed that among the holidays she witnessed, she could never forget the 10th-anniversary celebrations of the Republic, which she attended as a student at the Numune Girls' Middle School in Ankara.

AK Party İzmir Deputy Ceyda Bölünmez Çankırı had visited Özar at the hospital where she was receiving treatment on May 22 and chatted with her.

It was stated that the funeral arrangements for Özar would be announced later.