[5] Her father died while she was young, and she was raised in the house of her grandfather, Sheikh Hacı Emin Pasha of Mecca.

[6] During this time, she married her husband, Dr. Ferdinand Krekeler, who later adopted the name of Ferdi Ali.

[4] In June 1923, in Turkey, Safiye obtained her license to practice medicine, becoming the first female doctor in the country.

Poor women would seek her services, but they did not want to pay the full visit fee for a female physician.

In response to those who wished to pay a lower visit fee, she charged the same as her male colleagues.

She also worked with the Süt Damlası program, a project of the French Red Cross whose goal was to educate mothers about the importance of breastfeeding.

[4] During her time at Süt Damlası, Safiye Ali emphasized the superiority of breast milk over all other kinds of milk, encouraged women to breastfeed, and led training sessions for malnourished children where she encouraged them to practice healthier diets.