Sunday was Republic Day in
Turkey. It is 94 years since the formal
creation of the Republic of Turkey. It
is hard for us to imagine what a momentous change this was. For 600 years under the Ottoman Empire the
Sultan had enjoyed absolute power. By
contrast, in England the power of the monarchy began to be limited by a
constitution in 1688.
In 1908 a group known as ‘The Young
Turks’ led a rebellion against the Sultan and introduced a multi-party
democracy. Unfortunately not only did
the group quickly start to fragment but, rejected by the Allied Forces, it joined
sides with Germany in the First World War.
After the war, the Empire finally
collapsed and would have been carved up by the Allied Forces if Ataturk had not
organised the struggle for Independence.
As it was, he chased out the occupying forces and in July 1923 the
territorial integrity of the new state was recognised in the Treaty of
Lausanne.
Then began what might be
seen as an even bigger struggle – the transformation of the country into the
democratic, secular Republic of Turkey. This
transformation seems to be ongoing...in the 94 years of its history Turkey has experienced
two coups (not counting last year’s ‘failed coup’) and a number of military
interventions; had three new constitutions, as well as frequent amendments to
the constitution (the last following the referendum earlier this year).
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| Ataturk Statue in Beskaza Square, Fethiye |
The words of Ataturk’s
famous ‘Address to Youth’ given in 1927 and still taught to school children are
beginning to seem rather prophetic:
“Turkish Youth, Your first duty is to
preserve and to defend TURKISH INDEPENDENCE and
the TURKISH
REPUBLIC forever. This is the very foundation of your existence and your
future... In the future, too, there may be malevolent
people at home and abroad, who will wish to deprive you of this treasure.....And
sadder and graver than all these circumstances, those who hold power within the
country may be in error, misguided and may even be traitors. The country may be
impoverished, ruined and exhausted. Youth of Turkey's future, even in such
circumstances it is your duty to save Turkish Independence and the Republic.”
There is certainly a strong national pride and there were celebrations all over the country yesterday. Cem and Kaan went to the Fethiye celebrations - a sea-front walk and a concert in the large square with the statue of Ataturk (above photo). Here is a taste of it...
