Are there traces of Freemasonry in the War of Independence? Sanver speaks to 12punto

In a written statement made by the Free and Accepted Masons Grand Lodge of Turkey, it was announced that an Erol Evgin concert would take place at Kentorman on Wednesday, October 18, at 8 PM, as part of the 100th anniversary of the Republic.

The sentence, "There are traces of Freemasonry in many fronts of the social march that reached the Republic of Turkey under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk," which appeared in a letter reflected in the press under the signature of the president of the Free and Accepted Masons Grand Lodge of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Remzi Sanver, drew attention.

Journalist Ertuğrul Özkök sparked a debate in public opinion with his words, "They officially said there are traces of Freemasonry in the War of Independence."

'THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE WAS NOT EXEMPT FROM THIS SITUATION'

The president of the Free and Accepted Masons Grand Lodge of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Remzi Sanver, made exclusive statements to 12punto regarding the invitation that created an agenda and the 'War of Independence' controversy.

Sanver stated, "In the 18th and 19th centuries, Freemasonry appears as an institution that attracted the attention of intellectuals in every country in Europe. When we say 'intellectuals,' we are talking about a group of people that could be counted on one hand in those eras. Therefore, there is a striking intertwining between Freemasonry and social enlightenment processes. The Ottoman Empire was not exempt from this situation.

'IT DESCRIBES OUR SOCIAL ENLIGHTENMENT'

The declaration of the Constitutional Monarchy, the War of Independence, the idea of a nation-state, the Republic of Turkey, the Atatürk reforms; all these processes describe our social enlightenment, and Freemasonry is an institution that attracted the attention of the Turkish intellectuals of that period. Therefore, the intertwining of Freemasonry and social enlightenment that I mentioned a moment ago is also valid for the Turkey of that period," he explained.

'IT IS NOT AN IDEOLOGICAL POSITION'

Continuing his words, Sanver concluded by saying, "At this point, I would like to underline that Freemasonry does not have an ideological position. I used the term 'intertwining' deliberately, and I specifically did not say 'relationship.' Because the effort to establish cause-and-effect relationships between Freemasonry and enlightenment draws us into a conceptually very complex area, which may not fit into the scope of an invitation letter for a concert."

HOW DID THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE END?

The War of Independence was fought in the first quarter of the 20th century. The War of Independence ended de facto with the Armistice of Mudanya and officially with the Treaty of Lausanne. The Armistice of Mudanya entered into force on October 15, 1922. Thus, the War of Independence ended de facto.

The official end date is July 24, 1923.

WHO IS REMZİ SANVER?

Remzi Sanver was born in Istanbul in 1970. After graduating from Galatasaray High School, he completed his degree in Industrial Engineering at Boğaziçi University. He completed his doctorate in the Economics Department of the same university. He works on the application of mathematics to social sciences and has held the title of Professor since 2006. He speaks English, French, and Spanish.

He served as the Rector of Istanbul Bilgi University between 2011 and 2015. He currently serves as a research professor at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

He was initiated into the Ülkü Lodge in Istanbul in 1991, held various positions in his lodge, and served as the Worshipful Master in the 2003-2005 period. He served as Grand Secretary between 2007-2009 and as Grand Master between 2010-2013.

Remzi Sanver was elected as the president of the Free and Accepted Masons Grand Lodge of Turkey at the general assembly held on May 27, 2023.