102nd Anniversary of the National Pact (National Oath, National Oath)

January 28, 2022 is the 102nd anniversary of the adoption of the "Misak-ı Milli" (National Oath, National Oath), in which the borders of the Republic of Turkey were determined. The National Pact is a social contract that includes the conditions agreed by the Turkish Nation, which has taken action to establish a fully independent state, to live together. The National Pact is a historical phenomenon that played an important role in the liberation, establishment and independence of the Republic of Turkey. The Parliament, which was gathered with the efforts of Atatürk and symbolizing the recovery effort of the Ottoman Empire, convened for the last time on January 12, 1920 and unanimously accepted the National Pact on January 28, 1920. It consisted of a declaration containing 6 articles that determined the country's territory as the national border during the National Struggle period. The resolutions of the National Pact were adopted in the Assembly on 17 February and announced to the world, and they were made into national history and were reiterated on July 18, 1920 by taking an oath of allegiance in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The National Pact emerged at the beginning of the National Struggle and was called its preamble. It constituted the diplomatic document, basis and physical target of the National Struggle, and was both the result of important events and the beginning of a revolution. The basis of the National Pact, which outlined the goal, method and plans of the National Struggle, formed the decisions aimed at the development of the Turkish nation based on the principles adopted in the Erzurum and Sivas Congresses, the unity of the country and the future security of the country, and the new Republic of Turkey to be realized by the nation. the foundation of the state was laid.

The Ottoman Empire, on which various games were played, its lands were shared, and its independence was lost during the First World War, continued the occupations despite the Armistice of Mudros. The Entente Powers put their secret plans into practice on the now weakened empire. Today, as it was yesterday, Russia's goal of reaching the warm seas, the desire for dominance of the Straits and Istanbul; Middle East dreams of England and France; The Aegean lands promised to Italy and Greece have been under the constant observation of the occupying states. The authority vacuum formed in the administration, outside interventions, the poverty and exhaustion of the people formed the sign of the beginning of the end. Since the occupation of İzmir and the results of the negotiations with other states were against the Ottoman Empire, the support of the Anatolian people to the independence movement increased. For the preparation of the National Pact, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk held meetings with the notables of the city on 28 December 1919, the day after his arrival in Ankara, and various meetings in the early 1920s. These meetings had a very important place in determining the decisions that were in the nature of preparation for the National Struggle. In meetings; It has been stated that the 12th article of the "Wilson Principles" proposed for the Ottoman Empire is actually acceptable in terms of the situation in Turkey, and it has been stated that the limits to be adopted and realized are the limits in the Mudros Treaty of 30 October 1918.

The process leading to the Misak-ı Milli started with the decision of the general election of the Ottoman Government on September 11, 1919. In this context, deputies who were in the independence movement formed under the name of “Kuvayı Milliye” in the cities were elected for the assembly to convene. Atatürk was elected as Erzurum deputy, but he did not attend the meeting for security reasons, since Istanbul was under the occupation of the British. The deputies elected to take some decisions before the meeting came to Ankara from December 1919 and January 3, 1920, met with Atatürk and the Representatives of the Committee, and were told about the course of action and methods to be taken. They asked them to form the "Defense-i Law Society Group", which would be formed on the basis of the national organization and the nation, boldly express the sacred goals of the nation and represent the resistance movements in the parliament, and to defend and have the principles of the "National Pact" finalized in the Sivas Congress be accepted by the Assembly. He asked them to propose him to be elected President. The text of the paper was written as a result of these interviews and given its final form.

Atatürk, in his first general speech to the notables of Ankara, at the Teachers' School in early January 1920; “The aim of our national organization is to save the homeland from disintegration and the nation from captivity. But after that, we have a very important national and patriotic duty. It is necessary to actually prove that we can be an active member among civilized nations by improving our internal affairs and situations. In order to achieve this goal, social overtime is needed rather than political overtime. Gentlemen, I hope that after a favorable peace is achieved, our situation, if managed well, will be better than our situation in our old borders," and the National Pact determined its goal. In an interview with writer Laurence Shaw Mocre on August 11, 1921; “We are supporters of peace. We don't want more than we are entitled to. We want only the liberation of the motherland from enemy occupation and the right to self-determination, that is, we want independence. The National Pact is a document that is the right of our people, and our people have sworn to take the rights written in this document”, the far-sightedness, long-term future calculations, strategic intuition and decisions and determination of a hopeful leader who was not crushed and did not accept defeat were revealed.

Despite all the warnings, the Ottoman "Assembly of Deputies" gathered for the last time in the Fındıklı Palace in the occupied capital, Istanbul, on January 12, 1920. The Assembly, which convened on January 19, 1920, was influenced by the power of the Sultanate instead of the previous decisions, and elected Istanbul Deputy Reşat Hikmet Bey as the Speaker of the Assembly, and instead of the "Defense-i Law Society Group", at the request of Rauf Orbay and some of his friends, "Felah-ı Vatan" He founded the group (Liberation of the Fatherland). The drafts of the National Pact with 8 articles prepared by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in a secret session on January 22 were read to the members of the Parliament by Trabzon Deputy Hüsrev Sami Gerede. With the telegram he sent to his friends and some authorities in Istanbul on January 23, 1920, Atatürk drew attention to the possibility that a will about the dissolution of the Assembly could suddenly be read in the Assembly. The reason why he wanted them to be elected as the Speaker of the Assembly was to show that the Kuva-yı Milliye was accepted by the nation, to have the authority to convene again when the Assembly was dissolved, to continue this duty in Anatolia when necessary. 

In the face of a peace proposal that is incompatible with our national existence, the idea of ​​putting the nation's material and spiritual forces on the defensive as the head of the Assembly formed the idea and saw it as a necessary precaution. He said, “The dissolution of the parliament will be a signal that the time has come to attempt national defense”. He predicted the dissolution of the Assembly with his word, but he was not afraid.

At the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly, M.Şeref, the deputy of Edirne, presented the "Misak-ı Milli" ("Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Nation)"; “I propose to unanimously accept the Ahd-i Milli and announce it to the country, the nation and the whole world.” He declared in secret session. Misak-ı Milli, which is a political statement, was discussed in the Parliament and was accepted unanimously by 121 deputies in a secret session on 28 January 1920. The "National Pact", which was decided in the Erzurum and Sivas Congresses and was guiding, was made official and the borders were determined definitively. These decisions came before the Parliament on 17 February 1920 and were read by Şeref Bey and accepted unanimously. The "Ahd-ı Milli Declaration" was later changed to the "Misak-ı Milli (National Oath)" in the Parliament of Deputies. The National Pact, which is the greatest foundation and document of the National Struggle, was published to the public and shared with the public, and the friend/enemy was declared to the whole world by taking an oath by the representatives of the nation. Atatürk, National Pact; “It was necessary to determine a modern country border at the Erzurum and Sivas congresses, I chose the border pointed by the Turkish bayonets. You should know that I have definitively identified the foundations of the National Pact in Ankara, and some people who are unfamiliar with the problem have all kinds of delusions when it comes to the national border, giving importance to themselves and not knowing the truth”. The three basic principles adopted at the congresses with their words, "The homeland is a whole within the national border, its various parts cannot be separated from each other" and "Christian elements cannot be given privileges that will disrupt our political sovereignty and social balance", and "Mandate and protection cannot be accepted". s basic philosophy.

While the Last Ottoman Parliamentary Assembly took its National Pact Decisions

Decisions Taken at the Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly;

Article 1- “The future of the Ottoman Empire, especially of the sections in which the Arab majority was settled and under the occupation of the enemy armies at the time of the signing of the Armistice of Mudros on 30 October 1918 (the Hatay and Mosul regions are under Turkish rule) must be determined by the votes freely announced by their peoples. All of the sections in which the Ottoman-Islamic majority settled, which were connected to each other in terms of religion, lineage and unity of purpose, fostering feelings of mutual respect and self-sacrifice, respecting the relations of lineage and society and the conditions of their environment, are a whole that cannot be separated from each other for any reason, be it by an action or a verdict. The Turkish homeland within the national borders is a whole and cannot be disintegrated”.

Article 2- “After the liberation of its people, free vote of the people will be applied again, if necessary, for the three provinces (Kars, Ardahan and Batumi within Elviye-i Selase) that have joined the motherland with their votes. Again, the future of the Arab lands will be determined by the votes of the people living here”.

Article 3- “The determination of the legal position of Western Thrace, which has been postponed until the peace with Turkey, will also be determined by the vote of its people freely”. Article 4- “Measures will be taken to keep the city of Istanbul, the center of the Islamic Caliphate, the Supreme Sultanate and the capital of the Ottoman Government, and the Sea of ​​Marmara away from any danger. Provided that the security of the Istanbul and Dardanelles Straits is ensured, the unanimous decision of all other states will be valid on the issue of opening the Straits to world trade and transportation.

Article 5- “Christians and other minorities living in our country cannot be granted more than the rights granted to Muslims in other neighboring countries. The rights enjoyed by Muslims and the rights of these minorities will be made equal”.

Article 6- “Restrictions (Capitulations) that prevent our national and economic development in financial, administrative and political terms in order to enable our national and economic development are absolutely unacceptable”. Because: "When it is said full independence, of course, political, financial, economic, judicial, military, cultural etc. It means full independence and full freedom in all matters. In any of these we have mentioned, the lack of independence means the real deprivation of all independence of the nation and country. A fully independent state was aimed. It was stated that military, economic and political independence would not be compromised.

The National Pact was a reaction to Mondros and the declaration that these ceasefire provisions were not accepted despite the forced signing. The accepted 6-item declaration covered the internal and external principles of the National Struggle. It has shown that the occupation and foreign yoke will not be accepted. The understanding of ummahism, which has been dominant for a long time, has been replaced by the understanding of nationalism. For the first time, the National Assembly showed a big and harsh reaction to the capitulations, which has been a big problem for years. With the decision taken at the Erzurum and Sivas Congresses, "The homeland is an indivisible whole within national borders," the borders of the Turkish homeland were drawn and the main spirit of the National Struggle was formed. The targets of Turkish foreign policy have been determined, the last sacrifices that can be made for the independence of the state, the future of the nation and a permanent peace have been determined. With this declaration, which was announced to the world for the first time at the London Conference, the Republic of Turkey and its independence were recognized and accepted by other countries. Atatürk, with a policy of defense, not expansion; “The results of World War I require our state to endure some sacrifices. Accordingly, we accepted a new national border for the state. On the day the armistice was signed, our armies actually dominated this line. This border joins the Euphrates River south of the Jarablus Bridge, between Aleppo and Katma Station, from Antakya to the south of the Iskenderun Bay. From there it descends to Deir-i Zor; Then it curves to the east and includes Mosul, Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah. stated that new borders can only be drawn under these conditions.

England did not attempt to prevent it until the National Pact was declared. When the decisions adopted by the Parliament were made available to the public, he opposed the decisions and showed a great reaction. İsmet İnönü on March 3, 1920; With the help of the British, a society would be established in Istanbul, the government would be overthrown, the Assembly would be dissolved, cooperation with the enemy would be made on the Izmir and Adana fronts, the National Forces would be disbanded, and a Caliphate Council would be established in Istanbul, by means of Chief Apostle Major Salih, with a password to inform Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In the article that Atatürk wrote to the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament on March 4, 1920, on behalf of the Representative Committee; “Our nation, which is ready to make every sacrifice to protect the independence of our homeland and nation, has gained the holy excitement of our nation, but has gained the full trust of the nation. 

Bringing the text to work can calm down. Considering the great responsibility you have taken towards the homeland and history, and the careful gaze of the whole world on your lecterns, we would like to submit that we trust that decisions will be made worthy of the determination and sacrifice of the nation, and that the whole nation is with you and in your support in the work you do for the sake of the country. Again, on March 4, 1920, in the telegram he sent to the Sultan; He clearly stated that "the nation would not be able to tolerate for a minute a Cabinet Chief who could not maintain a national conscience and that if such a thing happened, unprecedented events in the history of the Ottoman Empire would be created" and foretold what would happen.

On March 3, 1920, the Greeks attacked and occupied the Gölcük plateau and Bozdoğan. The moderate Ali Rıza Pasha government, which had been in office for 5 months, resigned under the pressure of the Allied Powers and Salih Pasha became the head of government. On March 16, 1920, the Entente states; He occupied Istanbul, the Ministry of War and the Navy, the telegraph centres, the Turkish Hearth and other establishments. On March 18, the Sultan dissolved the Parliament and suspended his work. Allied Powers raided the Chamber of Deputies and in line with this raid, it was closed on April 11, 1920, by the sultan's decision and authority. After the closure of the Assembly, the Salih Pasha Government was replaced by the Damat Ferit Government and a fatwa was issued declaring that the Kuvay-ı Milliye was a traitor because it was against the National Struggle. Allied Powers arrested some deputies and intellectuals for about 2 years by pressing the Assembly. Rauf Orbay and some of his deputies were exiled to the Island of Malta, while others fled to Anatolia. In response to the arrest of the deputies from the parliament in Istanbul, the Entente officers in Anatolia were arrested. This event was described as an attack and a challenge to the national will, and it brought the people one step closer to the National Struggle by making them feel even more alienated from the government. The fact that the deputies who fled to Anatolia entered the parliament there was an indication that the parliament had moved to Ankara. In order to prevent possible interventions in the national will, all relations with the Istanbul government were cut and an Anatolian-based "Constituent Assembly" was formed, saying, "Istanbul is no longer dominating Anatolia, it is subject to it." With the people who believed that Istanbul was lost to Anatolia, the national spirit got stronger and took firm steps towards independence. The representatives of the nation convened the "Turkish Grand National Assembly" in Ankara on April 23, 1920, and the administration of the country was seized. The National Pact has become the national ideal, goal and oath that will determine the principles of the new Turkish State and will work to the end for its realization.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk stated that the fires of independence shining in Anatolia, namely the Turkish people, would write their own sovereignty and future, and that they would act together for independence without discriminating against religion, language, race or nation, and said: "The foundations of the Ottoman State had collapsed and its life had been completed. Ottoman lands were completely disintegrated. An ancestral home was left in the middle, where a handful of Turks lived. The last issue was just trying to get it to allocate. So what could be the serious and real decision? Gentlemen, there was only one decision in the face of this situation. And that is to establish a new, unconditionally independent Turkish state based on national sovereignty.” He became the leader of the National Struggle and showed the heroism of the Turkish nation to the whole world by leading this miracle to happen.

The decisions of the National Pact were prepared by taking into account the legal and political conditions of the period. Full independence was aimed in every area and the national borders of Turkey, which included the Ottoman borders at the time of the signing of the Armistice of Mudros, were drawn. It has been stated that the integrity of the country and the unconditional national sovereignty are not open to discussion. The National Pact, which was announced to the world for the first time at the London Conference, was accepted at the Lausanne Conference and the existence of a new independent Turkey made it internationally recognized. The occupation of Istanbul and the closing of the Assembly brought the end of the Ottoman Istanbul Government and Reign, and now the word belongs to the Nation and Ankara. The National Pact was the product of the great victory of the people and the idea of ​​the national state, reflecting the founding philosophy of the Republic of Turkey, and the most deep-rooted distinctive desire and belief of the Turkish nation, "Liberation", which was born and inspired by the heart and conscience of the Turkish nation.

REFERENCES:

ATATÜRK, Gazi Mustafa Kemal, “NUTUK (1919-1927)”, 2006.

ATAY, Falih Rıfkı, Çankaya, Pozitif Publications, Istanbul.

AYDEMİR, Şevket Süreyya, One Man 1919-1922, Remzi Bookstore, C-II, 1987, Istanbul

TRANSPORTERS, Erol, Our Idea Guide, Gazi Mustafa Kemal, Alfa Publications, 2008, Istanbul.

ÖZDEMİR, Wisdom, in War and Peace Kemal ATATÜRK, Doğan Egmont Publishing, 2019, Istanbul.