Just two years ago, Al-Monitor reported on a rise in the number of female soldiers in the Turkish Armed Forces. Then the Ministry of Defense picked a fight by deciding women were no longer needed in the navy and air force.

Every year, the academies accepted a small number of female students who have finished high school. These students had to meet a long list of physical, medical and academic standards, along with securing high scores on standardized college entrance exams. On this year's applications, however, the option allowing women to apply for the navy and air force disappeared. This came as a shock to potential applicants, their families and women’s organizations, especially given Turkey's history.

Female pilots have had a special place in Turkey's air force. Sabiha Gokcen, the world’s first female combat pilot, is one of the adopted daughters of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. After entering the Military Aviation Academy in 1936, she flew 32 combat missions and logged 8,000 flight hours. Gokcen became a role model for Turkish women, who had already gained suffrage rights in 1934. The first female NATO pilots are also from Turkey. From 1955 to 1959, 20 female students were accepted into the Turkish Air Force Academy. In 1992, all military academy branches started accepting women.

So after having the door slammed in their faces in 2017, potential female applicants and their families started organizing on social media, particularly those who wanted to apply to the air force. College student Tugba Cerav initiated an online petition on behalf of her sister and other students who dream of joining the air force. On Twitter, several students pleaded their cases with the Ministry of Defense.