What happened on the journey from the 1923 Republic to the 2023 Republic? Prof. Dr. Nurşen Mazıcı evaluates the 100th anniversary

Ezgi SİVRİTEPE- 12punto.com.tr

The War of Independence began with the arrival of the 9th Army Inspector Mustafa Kemal Pasha in Samsun on May 19, 1919. To protect the National Pact (Misak-i Milli) borders, struggles were waged against the Greek army in the west, the French army in the south, and Armenian forces in the east.

“THERE IS NO LINE OF DEFENSE, THERE IS A SURFACE OF DEFENSE”

The Turkish Army, fighting against Greek units on the Western Front, proved its strength with the İnönü Victories. Under the direct command of Mustafa Kemal and Fevzi Pasha during the Battle of Sakarya, the army retreated to the banks of the Sakarya River. Mustafa Kemal described this situation with the following words:

“There is no line of defense, there is a surface of defense. That surface is the entire homeland. Not a single inch of the homeland can be abandoned until it is soaked with the blood of the citizens.”

In the Battle of Sakarya, which determined the fate of the War of Independence, the Greek army was defeated; with the Battle of Dumlupınar on August 30, the Greek Army was decisively defeated, and the Aegean region fell into the hands of Turkish forces within a few days.

A 10-DAY FRONT

Turkish forces, moving under the command of Kazım Karabekir, defeated Armenia within 10 days, and upon the request of the Armenians, the Treaty of Gümrü was signed, establishing the current Turkey-Armenia border.

With this rapid victory on the Eastern Front, one front of the War of Independence was closed, and support was sent to the other fronts.

The Southern Front was opened as a result of the battles between the Kuvay-ı Milliye (National Forces) and French forces. This front also concluded in victory with the signing of the Ankara Agreement with France on October 20, 1921. After the Southern Front ended in victory, Maraş became Kahramanmaraş, Antep became Gaziantep, and Urfa became Şanlıurfa.

Having won the fronts one by one, the Turkish Army, with the Treaty of Lausanne, not only gained international recognition for the Misak-ı Milli (National Pact) borders but also confirmed its independence and abolished all capitulations.

"WE WILL PROCLAIM THE REPUBLIC TOMORROW"

On October 28, 1923, during dinner at the Çankaya Mansion, Mustafa Kemal Pasha told his guests, "We will proclaim the Republic tomorrow," and then prepared the draft law together with İsmet Pasha.

At the People's Party group meeting on October 29, 1923, Mustafa Kemal explained that the regime should be a Republic and presented the constitutional amendment proposal, which was accepted after the proposal was read in its entirety and then article by article.

After the draft law submitted to the Parliament was examined, it was accepted with the shouts of "LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC" from many speakers. Following the subsequent presidential election, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was elected president by the unanimous vote of 158 members.

FROM THE 1923 REPUBLIC TO THE 2023 REPUBLIC

Professor Doctor Nurşen Mazıcı evaluated for 12punto.com.tr how the Republic of Turkey has successfully passed many tests over the last 100 years to reach its 100th anniversary today.

Assessing the social divisions currently present in Turkey, Mazıcı stated the following:

“Divisions in society stem from political divisions.  Political violence creates social violence.  To prevent divisions within society, politicians must first stop using divisive rhetoric so that this can be reflected in public opinion.”

"WE MUST EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE REPUBLIC ONCE AGAIN"

Touching upon the Great Palestine Rally held before October 29, Mazıcı said, “A rally can be held today, but I would not want the Republic Day to remain in its shadow. Holding a rally does not prevent us from celebrating Republic Day. Both can be done at the same time because human emotions are limitless. Besides, celebration does not mean festivities. We must explain the importance of the Republic once again.”

Comparing the Republic of Turkey targeted 100 years ago with its current situation, Mazıcı stated the following:

"The damage sustained by the Republic of Turkey is significant. Atatürk says, 'Full independence is only possible through economic independence.' In the years when the Republic was founded, the country produced everything itself. Currently, however, our debt is very high; money is being sought but cannot be found. This situation will not destroy the Republic of Turkey, but it does wear it down."

News Source: Ezgi Sivritepe