Yusuf Halaçoğlu's 'reading-impaired' retort to 'Mehter march' and NATO Summit post: Most belong to the Republican era

Kutlu Party Chairman Yusuf Halaçoğlu reacted to a social media user's posts regarding the Mehter, Janissaries, and Ottoman heritage in the context of the NATO Summit. Halaçoğlu stated that the majority of Mehter marches were composed before and after the Republic.

In his statement regarding the posts made on social media about the Ottomans, the Mehter, and the Janissaries, Yusuf Halaçoğlu claimed that historical facts were being distorted and made assessments regarding the history of the Mehter organization and its marches.

A social media user shared the Mehter team at the NATO Summit and commented, "There is no longer a Turkey that welcomes foreign heads of state with waltzes and dances. There is a Turkey that welcomes them with the Mehter march and Janissary uniforms. These are the footsteps of the Ottoman grandchildren who have been tried to be put to sleep for 100 years. Some will be furious again..." which caused reactions.

Kutlu Party Chairman Yusuf Halaçoğlu made a statement reacting to this post.

Halaçoğlu used the following expressions:

"WHEN PEOPLE ARE READING-IMPAIRED, THEY TALK NONSENSE LIKE THIS"

There are a lot of ignorant people who think the Janissaries were Turkish. The Mehter was abolished with the abolition of the Janissary Corps during the reign of Mahmud II, and the Muzika-i Hümayun (Imperial Band) was established in the western style in its place. It resumed operations in 1914. The vast majority of the Mehter marches we listen to today are not traditional; they were composed after the Second Constitutional Era and under the instructions of Enver Pasha. One of the most well-known marches, "Ceddin Deden" (Mehter March), was composed by İsmail Hakkı Bey in 1917, and the "Hücum Marşı" (Assault March) was composed by Ali Rıfat Çağatay. The Conquest March was written by Arif Nihat Asya himself and was composed by Yıldırım Gürses as late as the 1980s. Abdülhamid himself was someone who enjoyed western music and played the piano. I am not portraying this as a bad thing. I am just writing for those who know it wrong. Furthermore, the ledgers showing that wine, champagne, cognac, beer, etc., were purchased for the palace are available in the Yıldız Palace archives. Also, Abdülhamid's napkins, bed sheets, ashtrays, glasses, and pitchers had the AH crest in the Latin alphabet. When people are reading-impaired, they talk nonsense like this. Most of the Mehter marches also belong to the Republican era.

News Source: 12punto