On the 101st anniversary of our Republic, are we being forced back 101 years?

The borders of the National Pact (Misak-ı Milli) have been drawn... The war is over, the country is in ruins, and the people have no strength left. The year is 1923, and the Republic is proclaimed after a thousand and one hardships. Now is not the time to stop and think, nor to fall into despair by looking at the miserable, despondent state of the nation. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades begin the construction of the country. Mustafa Kemal's agenda is clear. He loads the state of the nation onto the backs of hundreds of spirited white horses running through the fire, and without catching his breath, without stopping or resting, he drives them toward the future for 15 years.

101 years after the proclamation of the glorious Republic, the situation of today's Turkey is in a state of misery similar to the condition of the nation that Mustafa Kemal described back then. In this vein, recalling some of the recorded parts of the speeches made by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and comparing the state of the country at that time with the present day will perhaps be the most effective way to lead us to think with seriousness and sorrow.

He begins his speech with "Gentlemen":

“The closure of dervish lodges (tekke and zâviye) and tombs, and the prohibition and abolition of all sects, as well as titles such as sheikh, dervish, disciple, leader, fortune-teller, sorcerer, tomb-keeper, and deity, were also carried out during the era of the Law on the Maintenance of Order (Takrîr-i Sükûn Kanunu). It is appreciated how essential the actions and practices in this regard were from the point of view of showing that our society is not a superstitious, primitive people.”

He recounts the scene he encountered during one of his trips as follows:

“In some places, I see women who cover their faces and eyes by throwing a cloth, a headscarf, or something similar over their heads, and who either turn their backs or sit on the ground and huddle up when men pass by. What is the meaning and significance of this attitude? Gentlemen, would the mother or daughter of a civilized nation enter into this strange form, this savage situation?”

In his famous Izmir speech, he says;

“Gentlemen, if there is ignorance in our country, it is general; it applies not only to our women but also to our men.”

Although it is difficult to accept, the sentences Mustafa Kemal Atatürk uttered for the miserable, exhausted people he observed that day correspond exactly to the state of the nation 101 years later. There is still a people in need of being saved from ignorance, still in need of being guided by rational education and the principles of scientific thought, and still leagues behind the level of contemporary, developed civilizations.

While Mustafa Kemal Atatürk entrusted all solutions to the parliament of the Republic of Turkey as a legacy, one by one in writing, to be implemented, what is the reason for these measures not being applied?

Why are we moving away so rapidly from solutions that are possible to implement and have been proven effective, and why are we so eagerly abandoning the people to the arms of the ignorance of 101 years ago? We know the answer, of course...

While looking at the desperate struggles of the country, although we wish to celebrate the Republic without losing our hope on brighter October 29ths, in today's circumstances and conditions, the poet within us unfortunately cannot let the day turn into night without leaning on the lines of 'Han-ı Yağma' (The Feast of Plunder)...

The Feast of Plunder

This little table, gentlemen - waiting for your arrival

Trembling in your presence - is the life of this nation;

This nation that is suffering, this nation that is dying!

But do not hesitate, eat, swallow greedily...

Eat, gentlemen, eat, this feast of gluttony is yours,

Eat until you are full, until you are stuffed, until you burst!

Gentlemen, you are very hungry, it is evident on your faces

Eat, if you don't eat today, who knows if it will remain tomorrow?

This club of bounties, look, it is proud of your arrival!

This is the right of your conquest, yes, that right is already in hand...

Eat, gentlemen, eat, this feast of gluttony is yours,

Eat until you are full, until you are stuffed, until you burst!

Count whatever these dainty lords have in the open

Lineage, ancestry, honor, games, weddings, mansions, palaces,

All are yours, gentlemen, mansions, palaces, brides, processions;

All are yours, all are yours, ready-made, easily...

Eat, gentlemen, eat, this feast of gluttony is yours,

Eat until you are full, until you are stuffed, until you burst!

Even if the digestion of greatness is a bit heavy, it doesn't matter

There is the pride of splendor, there is the joy of revenge.

This table awaits the luster of your compliments.

These heads, brains, livers, all these bloody morsels of yours...

Eat, gentlemen, eat, this feast of gluttony is yours,

Eat until you are full, until you are stuffed, until you burst!

The poor country gives, it gives whatever it has, its property

Its body, its life, its hope, its dream

All its peace of mind, all its youthful joy.

Just swallow, don't think about what is forbidden or lawful...

Eat, gentlemen, eat, this feast of gluttony is yours,

Eat until you are full, until you are stuffed, until you burst!

This harvest is coming to an end, grab it while you can!

Tomorrow you will see the hearth that crackles today will go out!

Today's stomachs are strong, today's soups are hot,

Snack, stuff yourselves, grab it, bowl by bowl...

Eat, gentlemen, eat, this feast of gluttony is yours,

Eat until you are full, until you are stuffed, until you burst!

Tevfik Fikret