REBIRTH: AUGUST 30

August 30 is not just the liberation of the Homeland.

It is the rebirth of a Nation.

It is an epic written by the Turkish Nation, which, having realized its own power, broke free from being stripped of its national identity and held captive by a dynastic identity.

This epic is the final scene of the journey of hope in which Mustafa Kemal Pasha tore apart and cast aside the dark clouds and despair hanging over the Homeland like a rag.

Neither the supporters of the Sultan, nor the proponents of a mandate, nor the caliphate-loving deputies who held the spirit of the Parliament captive could set a barrier to his determination and resolve; the Nation awoke from its centuries-long slumber and signed its name to victory for a free and independent Homeland.

The Turkish Nation, fueled by Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s faith and trust in his nation, his extraordinary vision, tactical genius, and superior command ability, rose up and swept the enemy from the lands of the homeland.

August 30 is the day when Anatolia was illuminated by the Sun of Victory.

There is a need to remember and evaluate once again the message given by the glorious and epic struggle of the “Founding,” which began with the War of Independence and culminated in the proclamation of the Republic on October 29.

This message is also a sign that those who define themselves as “Kemalist” have no right to a weary, exhausted, helpless, and hopeless wait.

Today is the day to remember the difficult process that Great and Lonely Man went through and to feel the responsibility of setting out on the path once again with determination.

It is useful to refresh our memories regarding what happened in the First Parliament before August 30:

The one-year period following the Battle of Sakarya was filled with events that forced Gazi Pasha to fight on two fronts simultaneously.

In his Nutuk (Speech), which he read in Parliament for 6 days in 1927, Atatürk described the process in detail, pointing to how they tried to remove him from Ankara during the most critical days of the war, the schemes plotted to strip him of his authority as Commander-in-Chief, the defeatist suggestions intended to destroy the Army’s morale, and even the impositions to send troops to the British front in Northern Iraq instead of fighting the Greeks.

He then addressed the attitude of the Parliament, which he described as the “Internal Front,” and made the following statement:

“The strength of the internal front is essential. If the internal front is strong, even if the external front falters, it will recover and achieve victory.”

Neither the destructive opposition on the internal front, nor the internal rebellions incited by imperialist powers, nor the lack of resources, poverty, or the insufficiency of weapons and ammunition, nor even the betrayals he saw from his comrades-in-arms during the founding period could deter him from his goal, and he bequeathed to us a free, fully independent, and modern Turkey.

Walking in Atatürk’s footsteps is possible only by remembering every moment of this extraordinary struggle.

Today, the “internal front” is the front of those who have the determination and resolve to protect Atatürk’s Republic.

Our numbers are many, our intellectual capital is strong, our Light is Bright, and we have been bathed in the Sun of Atatürk.

It is clear that we cannot move forward with current political criticisms without making sacrifices from our own comfort zones.

The power behind the August 30 Victory is to be one for the homeland and to march toward the goal.

In that case, it is evident that for years we have lost by dividing, fragmenting, and blaming each other for the sake of protecting our own small spheres of power.

What has been lost is the ATATÜRK REPUBLIC.

If we do not keep the internal front strong, achieving victory against those who want to settle scores with the Republic will be a dream.

Isn’t it time to unite, shedding the divisive spirit of internal politics and the dominance of our egos?

Let us think about the August 30 Victory in this way as well!