September 19 Meaning and Importance of Veterans Day
The State of the Republic of Turkey, for which they fought, honored the veterans with the noblest and most honorable of titles. You are now a national value, you are a veteran, said all of Turkey, the Turkish Nation and the State.
September 19 Meaning of Veterans Day
Go, my son, and I will be without a son for years
Let me steal black stones to my wounded bosom
Come on, baby, come on, go be a veteran or a martyr.
Mehmet Emin YURDAKUL
The Turkish nation, which has lived free and independent throughout history, is a noble and great nation that is not used to occupation and captivity. For this reason, it has fought many wars for this cause in its history and has given many people martyrs and veterans. The greatest Veteran is Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the savior and founder of the homeland, who received this title with the decision of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on September 19, 1921.
On September 19, 1921, the anniversary of the day when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was given the title of "Field Marshal Rank" and "Veteran" by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was accepted as Veterans Day with the law enacted in 2002. In our country, the title of Veteran can only be given by the state in accordance with the law. A random person cannot be defined as "Veteran" and cannot benefit from the rights of Veteran.
As the sons of a nation whose history is full of heroism on the battlefields, one of the most honorable ranks we can reach in our struggle for our sacred values is undoubtedly the ranks of veteran and martyrdom.
Today, this country, in which we live in an environment of peace and brotherhood, is entrusted to us by our martyrs and veterans. Protecting this sacred trust with sensitivity and leaving a Turkey that future generations can be proud of should be seen as a debt of loyalty to our martyrs and veterans, and with this awareness, our veterans should be shown the respect and value they should have.
While receiving this title, veterans have been at the tip of the bayonet, in the buzz of the bullet, in the terror of the torpedo, torpedo, bomb. They had troubled, fearful days. They always said "homeland", they never shied away from it, fear surrounded them from time to time. Then the homeland came to their minds. They erased their fears. They suffered, their nation came before their eyes and they forgot their pain.
They always said homeland, always homeland. They said, "Halal olsun, our blood that has flowed and will flow to the homeland". They embraced their fallen friends, subordinates and commanders in their arms. Time came when they closed the open eyes of the martyrs with their hands. They became shrouds. They shed tears wondering why I did not go with them. They never regretted it and said they did not regret it.
In the end, the veterans' veterans were blessed, and the Republic of Turkey, for which they fought, honored them with the noblest and most honorable of titles. You are now a national value, you are a veteran, said the whole of Turkey. Our veterans are now proud of being a national value. They are honored and proud.
From time to time, there are those who cannot bear the fact that Gazi is a national value and those who belittle him. We do not confuse them with the grateful Turkish nation and we know that the Turkish nation has protected its veterans and martyrs throughout history.
Recently, the prevention of the rights granted to our veterans by law under the pretext of Privatization is a serious example of negativity. Our nation gives the best answer to the removal of national power and values under the pretext of privatization by protecting our Veterans and will continue to do so.
A veteran is a national value that respects the state, is the living representative of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the greatest veteran of our republic, is noble, dignified, moral and virtuous, owes gratitude to the state that protects him, is not on the same side with the enemies of the state, is at peace with his environment, does not benefit himself by clinging to the title of veteran, does not open his hands to anyone, does not beg, does not mix his political preference with the title of veteran, is full of love for Atatürk, love for the homeland and the moon-starred flag.
In Turkish history, there is the honor and honor of martyrdom and veteranism before and after Islam. In order to achieve this honor, every Turk fights for his homeland, nation, flag, national anthem, cognates and sacred values. Because these feelings, which are in our national characteristic, have an indispensable meaning and importance for the Turkish nation and every individual.
The Turkish Nation experienced the best example of this in the War of Independence under the leadership of Atatürk. He said "Either independence or death!". Turkish history is full of such "heroic days". We owe these heroic days to our martyrs and veterans. The martyrs and veterans who created epics are our monuments of honor one by one.
The heroic Turkish Army, which risked death for the sake of its homeland, later took part in protecting world peace. It fought in Korea for peace between 1950-1953.
In 1974, it carried out the Turkish Cypriot Peace Operation to save the Turkish Cypriot people from extinction.
Again, Mehmetçik went to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Somalia and Kosovo as a peacekeeping force with the decision of the United Nations to keep the peace.
Countless sons and daughters of the Turkish Army, Gendarmerie and Security Forces, who have made terrorists vomit blood in the north of Iraq and Syria and in Turkey when necessary, have been martyred and many more have become veterans for this cause.
The State of the Republic of Turkey continues to give "Medal of Commendation" to the relatives of martyrs and continues to tie martyrdom salary within the scope of the law. Again, veterans are also given a monthly salary with a medal. Free facilities are provided in services such as treatment and transportation. Although these are limited services and facilities, they are important for our veterans and the families of our martyrs who are left behind and should not be neglected.
For the Turkish nation, "martyrs are enlightened" and "veterans are honored". Foremost among them is Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, our Commander-in-Chief, Veteran, Field Marshal and National Leader. September 19 is the day in 1921, after the Battle of Sakarya, when Atatürk was awarded the rank of Field Marshal and the title of veteran by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Based on this date, September 19 is celebrated as "Veterans Day" every year in our country. September 19 Veterans Day is also celebrated as "Heroism Day".
Meanwhile, local liberation days are also days of commemoration for our veterans and heroes. As we have been doing until today, we must continue to give the veterans, the comrades-in-arms they left behind who fought heroically shoulder to shoulder with them, the value they deserve in order to make the souls of our martyrs peaceful.
Turkish history is full of epics of martyrdom and veteranism. In order to have this honor, every Turkish son sees fighting for his homeland, nation, flag, national and religious values as the greatest value he can achieve. The Gallipoli War and the War of Independence are the greatest examples of this. The Turkish Nation has memorized the stories of heroism not only at home but also abroad. Our nation, which is still fighting against those who attack our national integrity and national unity at any time and anywhere, has given many martyrs and veterans, both military and civilian, and continues to do so today.
Our heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the unity and integrity of the homeland, who said "If I die, I will be a martyr, if I stay, I will be a veteran", and our veterans, the living monuments of our epic history who buried a part of their bodies in the ground, have a great meaning for us in our "either independence or death" war that we have been waging since the past. Love for homeland is not just a word spoken casually. Our history is full of many epics and many stories of heroism in this regard.
References:
Siyaset Dergisi, https://siyasetdergisi.com.tr/19-eylul-gaziler-gunu-tarihi-gelisimi-ve-anlami/
