The Presidency's Lausanne 'Draft'... Özgür Özel's New Party...

The day before yesterday marked the 103rd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, the title deed of our country. Özgür Özel and his colleagues, who were forced to leave due to an “absolute nullity” operation—which signifies an attempt to bury the CHP, the founder of the Republic, into history—founded their New Party on such a historic day.

First, we need to look at who commemorated Lausanne and how.

July 24 was also the 6th anniversary of the reopening of Hagia Sophia for worship and the 31st anniversary of the passing of Dr. Sadık Ahmet, the leader of the Western Thrace Turks.

Erdoğan not only issued messages for both the late Sadık Ahmet and Hagia Sophia, but also made statements after Friday prayers regarding the “hospitality” at the NATO Summit and the World Cup, in addition to Hagia Sophia, but he did not commemorate Lausanne.

Yet, just one day earlier, on July 23, he had celebrated the anniversaries of the Erzurum Congress and the annexation of Hatay to the motherland.

I wondered about our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan. On the anniversary of Lausanne, I saw that he met with María Angela Holguín Cuéllar, the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy for Cyprus, who is still chasing a “solution,” and General Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander of the Libyan National Army.

Fortunately, the Ministry shared a message stating, “Happy 103rd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, the founding document of the Republic of Turkey, which registers the independence and sovereignty of our homeland.”

Meanwhile, I continued to check the Presidency and Communications Directorate accounts regarding Lausanne. While there was no development until yesterday afternoon, I saw that a statement dated July 24 had been posted on the Presidency's website in the afternoon. The statement read as follows:

“Today is the 103rd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, which registers our nation's struggle for independence under international law. In the 103 years that have passed, Turkey has thwarted many attacks targeting its independence and future, overcome many difficulties, and achieved great successes in every field, especially in the last 24 years. Today, our country has reached a high level where it has global prestige, is respected in its region, and plays key roles in resolving crises and conflicts. With the strength and courage we draw from our glorious history full of victories, we continue to walk with firm and determined steps together with our nation towards our goals for the Century of Turkey. We continue our efforts, especially in establishing lasting peace and stability in our region, and we work with all our might for the resolution of conflicts through diplomatic means. On the 103rd anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, I once again commemorate with mercy the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal, along with the heroes of the National Struggle and our dear martyrs, and I remember our veterans with respect.”

More interesting than the 24-hour delay was the following subheading of the statement:

“Draft message for the 103rd anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne”

Leaving aside the lack of importance, care, and attention, let us move on to yesterday's Lausanne news in a newspaper that is a relentless supporter of the government.

This newspaper, which reminds us of Lausanne at every violation by Greece, deemed the headline “Centennial shame: Lausanne” appropriate for the 103rd anniversary, and listed the following claims underneath, which fall apart no matter how you look at them:

“The 103rd anniversary of the Lausanne defeat, which went down in history as the most concrete example of how Turkey lost at the table a war it won on the battlefield, was remembered with shame. With the scandalous agreement signed on July 24, 1923, by İsmet İnönü, who had no diplomatic knowledge or skill after the National Struggle, as the chief delegate, Turkey abandoned the majority of the Misak-ı Milli (National Pact) borders, including Kirkuk, Mosul, Sulaymaniyah, and Cyprus, which were won on the front at the cost of thousands of martyrs, primarily the 12 islands.”

Do you see how Lausanne is viewed in our country, and not elsewhere?!

Lausanne is also a Target for the PKK

The country's problems have reached the skies, but the agenda is nothing but the PKK opening process.

It is known that the terrorist leader in İmralı, who has been turned into an interlocutor and savior, demanded the 1921 Constitution during the very first opening process, and in the second opening, he targeted Lausanne by basing the “Kurdish issue” on 100 years ago; that Lausanne and the 1924 Constitution were openly criticized at the PKK's so-called dissolution congress; and that DEM members said, “We need a real confrontation. What happened at Lausanne is a truth, and the place where that monist structure in the '24 Constitution brought the country is also a truth.”

Here, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), which should be going on recess, will work in the coming days on a law regarding the return of some terrorists, which the İmralı-Kandil-DEM trio considers the “root,” that is, the first step, and the rest will come later, gradually. How do we conclude this?

Did the Speaker of the Parliament, Numan Kurtulmuş, who is the conductor of this business himself, not use the following expressions in his statement after meeting with all parties?

“This law will define a critical threshold... We are of the opinion that it is necessary to bring this law to the agenda in a path-opening, inclusive manner... You pass the law this way today, tomorrow another law may be passed in another way... It is not 'We prepared this law, everything is finished.' We must demonstrate the success of solving the issues that will come before us with this new process with state wisdom and the nation's conscience.”

Likewise, did DEM spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan not say the following the day before yesterday, that is, on the anniversary of Lausanne?

“Even if the framework law has been discussed under various names, it will be the start of a new era and a series of new legal regulations for us. This first regulation will also be a reference for the laws that will follow... We are talking about a legal framework that will secure the process in an institutional sense... Of course, a single law cannot solve a century-old, massive problem on its own. However, such a good start can be made, such a solid start can be made, that it will pave the way for a democratic solution and make the democratic solution permanent. It is not enough to eliminate all the consequences of the issue, but an important step will have been taken for this... The root law should be evaluated as the first link of a comprehensive democratization program.”

Since our main topic is Lausanne; let us note that the European extensions of the PKK, which are planned to come to Turkey in the coming process, called for mass marches in the Swiss city of Lausanne on the 103rd anniversary, just as they did in previous years, while describing Lausanne as the “text that started the Kurdish genocide.”

The Duty to Protect Atatürk's Besieged Legacy

After all this, let us come to the New Party founded by Özgür Özel and his colleagues.

Before the opening of the Parliament, Özel gave the message that they were starting a new national struggle by praying at Hacı Bayram and taking the podium of the First Parliament, just as Atatürk did. Along with these symbolic steps, he spoke as follows:

“We are on the 103rd anniversary of a day when, 103 years ago, we tore up and threw away Sèvres and accepted Turkey's title deed to imperialist countries with Lausanne, and registered Turkey as an independent Republic of the modern world... We are at the place where Sèvres was torn up and thrown away, that is, where certain agreements, calculations, and surrenders in the Middle East and within and outside our borders were torn up and thrown away, and the independent Republic of Turkey was declared, and where those solid foundations and columns have carried us from that day to this. We are of the same determination. We are not one step, not one centimeter away from Lausanne, the Misak-ı Milli borders, the indivisible integrity of Turkey, or the founding values of our party and the Republic.”

Likewise, the following was emphasized at the beginning of the party program announced on the same day:

“Our basic foundation is the founding philosophy of the Republic, which is based on national sovereignty. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's ideal of an independent, democratic, and sovereign Turkey, based on freedom and independence, civic consciousness, and the goal of contemporary civilization, is our basic guide... The Republic, founded under the leadership of Atatürk, is not just the name of a form of government. The Republic is the transfer of sovereignty from the palace to the nation. It is the transformation of society from being subjects into strong citizens with equal rights... The New Party adopts the Six Arrows, consisting of republicanism, nationalism, populism, statism, secularism, and revolutionism, by protecting the historical legacy and progressive essence of Atatürk's principles, in line with the goals of democracy, freedom, equality, citizenship, justice, solidarity, public interest, independence, science, and continuous renewal of our age.”

After the party administration was determined, Özel wrote the following in the special book at Anıtkabir, which he visited yesterday: “Our compass and only guarantee on this path is our nation. Our goal is; with the inspiration we receive from you and the basic principles of our Republic; to build a free, independent, democratic, fair, and prosperous Turkey together with our nation. The duty to protect your besieged legacy is entrusted to the cadres of the NEW Party.”

The requirement of what is said and written is to strictly own the unitary and national structure of the Republic of Turkey, is it not?

But Özel and his colleagues continue to support the opening process, the destination of which is clear.

What about the details in the party program?

- If we do not count the phrases “Organization of Turkic States, Turkish Cypriot people, and Turkish Armed Forces,” the expression 'Turk' only appeared twice as follows: “Everyone who is bound to our Republic by the bond of citizenship is equal. The Turkish nation is defined with this understanding.” and it was stated that the defense industry is the “common accumulation of the Turkish nation.”

- Despite these definitions regarding the Republic and the Turkish Nation, “equal citizenship, the Kurdish issue, and the right to mother tongue” were mentioned subsequently.

In short; our intention is not to oppose the opposition, but to draw attention to the “first button” so that new and greater disappointments are not experienced, in the sense of “before the jar breaks”!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

July 26, 2026