If there were no republic, before whom would we bow?
There are certain dates that are not only on the calendar but also in the conscience of the nation. 29 October 1923 is one of those dates. Because on that day, it was not just a form of government that changed, but destiny itself. On that day, a nation declared, ‘I am now the master of my own future.’
If there were no Republic, we might have had land, but we would not have had a homeland. We might have had a sultan, but we would not have had a nation. Today, we are not slaves to other slaves, and we can say, ‘We bow only to the Creator,’ meaning we are a Nation, and that too is thanks to the Republic.
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There are certain dates that are not only on the calendar but also in the conscience of the nation.
29 October 1923 is one of those dates.
Because on that day, it was not just a form of government that changed, but destiny itself.
On that day, a nation declared, ‘I am now the master of my own future.’
The place of servitude to a ruler was taken by the will of the nation.
The Republic is not a regime, but a consciousness of liberation.
It is the breaking of the chains of oppressed nations, the words ‘We will never be slaves again’ carved into the stone and soil of Anatolia.
It is the victory won in war, crowned with law and human dignity.
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The Republic gave us not only a form of government, but also a consciousness, a responsibility and an identity.
In these lands, the answer to the question ‘Who am I?’ was found not in the shadow of a ruler, but in the collective conscience of a nation.
The doors of education were opened to village children, girls gained the right to read, and the people began to determine their own destiny at the ballot box.
The Republic placed all the people of this country on the same level, declaring that ‘there are no masters, there is only the nation’.
But most importantly:
The Republic is not ‘endless freedom,’ but ‘freedom crowned with responsibility.’
Because the Republic is not simply won; it is protected, sustained, and renewed.
Each generation rebuilds and reinterprets its own Republic.
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If there were no Republic...
If there were no Republic, perhaps we would have minarets, but our call to prayer would not be free.
Perhaps we would have places of worship, but there would be no guarantee of our beliefs.
There would still be walls between those who wish to practise their religion and those who wish to express their thoughts.
Today, every heart that can say, ‘We bow only to the Creator,’ whether they realise it or not, owes that freedom of speech to the Republic.
Because the Republic has liberated both faith and thought.
Without the Republic, women might have had names, but they would have had no voice.
They would not have been able to go to the polls and vote, take the podium and speak, or have a place in the decision-making mechanisms of society.
The girl in the village would have resigned herself to her fate, and the young woman in the city would have been forced to hide her ideas.
When half of a nation is silenced, the whole nation is condemned to silence.
The Republic has been the great voice that broke that silence.
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The Republic is the name of our cornerstone
The Republic has given us not only a form of government, but also an identity and a backbone.
Sovereignty belongs to the people.
The judiciary became independent, education became equal, and thought became free.
The state became the guarantor of religion but did not attempt to control it.
Women became not just the adornment of society but also had a voice and a say.
Citizens became individuals who guided the state with their will, not subjects.
To be able to worship freely for even a single day on this land,
to be able to stamp our own choice on a ballot paper,
to be able to write our thoughts, to be able to criticise...
Each of these is a silent revolution of the Republic.
The Republic is not just a system, it is a consciousness and a responsibility.
Every generation must understand it anew and defend it anew.
Because the Republic is protected not only on the day it was founded, but every day.
As long as the conscience of a nation remains alive, the Republic will live on.
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And today...
If we can still walk with our heads held high,
if we can decide for ourselves what faith to hold and what ideas to defend,
if our women can be pioneers of thought and our youth the voice of hope...
We owe this to the torch lit on 29 October 1923.
The Republic is not a symbol of ideology, but of human dignity.
Try to imagine a tomorrow without it…
Then you will understand that the Republic is not just a holiday;
it is the noblest signature a nation has placed on its own destiny.
The Republic did not leave us a throne, but a conscience.
That conscience will continue to burn in the heart of this nation for centuries to come.
