An Ataturkist father; Hasan İmamoğlu

Mustafa Kemal Pasha was in Sivas.

He was continuing the Congress proceedings in September 1919.

Although he was trying to organize and rally the occupied Turkish nation at this congress, his task was not easy.

He faced many obstacles: For instance, the Ottoman Government had tasked Ali Galip with arresting Atatürk in Sivas, but Ali Galip had not succeeded. 

He had fled.

However, this time, the Government resorted to a lie to prevent the congress from convening, spreading rumors in Sivas that the Sultan's forces would raid the high school building where the congress was to be held.

They supposedly intended to kill Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his friends in this raid. In their minds, they would thus frighten Mustafa Kemal and force him to flee Sivas.

The Ottoman government was deliberately spreading this through its allied press in Istanbul, trying to prevent the public from joining Atatürk, who was leading the National Struggle in Anatolia.

Despite this, the Turkish people were trying to support Atatürk.

In those days, a young Turkish man had joined Mustafa Kemal in Sivas and entered his service. He was bringing tea to the Sivas High School where the congress proceedings were being carried out, tidying up, and helping Atatürk.

However, the father of this young man, who had heard these rumors and begun to worry about the situation, would frequently come to the high school building to warn his son and try to persuade him.

He would say, "The Sivas High School will be raided by the Sultan's forces any day now, and Mustafa Kemal and his friends will be arrested; they have risked everything."

And he would say, "Think of yourself and your family." He wanted him to leave Mustafa Kemal and return to his village.

Atatürk being who he was, he was of course aware of what was happening around him. When the young man brought tea one time, Atatürk asked him;

-“Who is this person who keeps coming and going?”

-“My father,” the young man said hesitantly…

-“Well, what does he want?” When asked, the young man explained with embarrassment. Upon this, Atatürk took the young man aside and said these unforgettable words;

-“Look, child. I am pleased with you, but the right of a father is great. Since your father wants it that way, go; but do not forget to tell your father this: If the homeland is lost, what value does a child have?”

Yes.

The last sentence was very important. Indeed; if the homeland is lost, what value would a child have?

That statement was very important that day. Almost a century has passed, but this statement is still very important today.

Because today, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is being prosecuted, and a struggle for the "National Will," "Rights," "Law," and "Justice" is being waged.

And all his assets are being seized. His father, Hasan İmamoğlu, steps forward and, fearlessly, bravely, and proudly, makes the following statement;

-"There is nothing I cannot account for! For me, Turkey comes before my son!" he says.

An Ataturkist father. Fearless.

He thinks like Atatürk. He says Turkey comes before my son. In other words, he means to say, if the homeland is lost, what value does a child have?