The term 'War of Independence' is being removed from the curriculum

The War of Independence, one of the most established concepts in history education in Turkey, is seen not just as a lesson title, but as a foundational designation that describes the struggle for independence against occupation, the path to the Republic, and the idea of national sovereignty.

For this reason, the news that the term will be removed from the curriculum has triggered a wider debate regarding the direction of education policies.

The regulation, which came to the agenda with a report published in the Hürriyet newspaper by Ebru Karatosun, is being evaluated alongside Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin's remarks emphasizing the Ottoman Empire. The expression used by Tekin in his statement has become the center of the debate:

“What are we being liberated from? Before that, there was the great Ottoman Empire.”

According to critics, this approach narrows the historical meaning of the War of Independence. This is because the word “liberation” (kurtuluş) does not disregard the Ottoman legacy, but rather expresses the conditions of occupation experienced after the Armistice of Mudros, the resistance organized in Anatolia, and the birth of a new idea of political sovereignty. The removal of the concept from the curriculum is considered unacceptable on the grounds that it means weakening this framework.

WHY ARE CONCEPTS IMPORTANT IN HISTORY EDUCATION?

The concepts used in school curricula directly affect how students understand the past. The term “War of Independence” has been taught for generations in Turkey as the primary name for the National Struggle. This designation establishes a direct link between occupation, resistance, independence, and the founding process of the Republic.

Therefore, the debate is not just a matter of whether a word is changed or not. The criticisms are based on the claim that the Ministry has a tendency to prioritize an Ottoman-centered framework in its historical narrative instead of the founding values of the Republic. Yusuf Tekin's words, “Before that, there was the great Ottoman Empire,” are also read as an example that reinforces this concern.

According to those who advocate for the preservation of the designation 'War of Independence', telling the story of the Ottoman past and emphasizing the liberating nature of the National Struggle are not alternatives to each other. However, the framework established by the question “what are we being liberated from?” is receiving backlash because it pushes the conditions of occupation and the struggle for independence into the background.

THE DIRECTION OF EDUCATION IS IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE REACTIONS

The reactions directed at Yusuf Tekin are not limited to this curriculum title alone. Concerns regarding the religiousization of education policies, the erosion of the principle of secular education, and the influence of religious sects and communities in the field of education are coming to the agenda again in the background of the latest debate.

For opposition educational circles and segments sensitive to secularism, the problem is greater than which concept will be used in history lessons: it is being debated whether the education provided in public schools will remain scientific, secular, and compatible with the founding historical realities of the Republic.

In this context, the removal of the term 'War of Independence' from the curriculum is evaluated more as a sign of an ideological shift in education policies than a historical conceptual change. This is where the reason for the hardening of reactions lies: the War of Independence is not just a title belonging to the past in Turkey; it is one of the fundamental concepts that carries the legitimacy of the Republic, the idea of independence, and the common historical memory.

The lasting importance of the curriculum debate also emerges at this point. The concepts with which students learn recent history are not only related to the language of textbooks; they also affect how society perceives the idea of the Republic, independence, and secularism. For this reason, the preservation of the name “War of Independence” is seen by critics as a requirement of historical memory and public educational responsibility.