The proclamation of the Republic

Happy 29th October 2021, the 98th anniversary of the Republic to the Turkish Nation. Great Leader Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 98 years ago, on October 29, 1923, at 20.30, "The most suitable form of government for the character and customs of the Turkish Nation is the republic." It was declared in the Grand National Assembly of the Republic, which is an administration with high moral values and qualities. With the victory of the National Struggle and the proclamation of the Republic, which he kept as a "national secret in his conscience", a new era has opened in Turkish history. By choosing the people who will rule the state, he took his own will into his own hands and the sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the Turkish Nation.
The first step on the road to the republican regime was taken with the "National Struggle". While the "Full Independence" war was waged against imperialism with the National Struggle, the "National Sovereignty" struggle was waged against the palace/sultan at the same time. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, while passing to Anatolia on May 19, 1919, aimed to "establish a new fully independent Turkish State based on National Sovereignty". In the Amasya Circular; The vital importance and value of the National Sovereignty has been revealed with the principle of "the nation's determination and decision will save the independence of the nation", and the determination of the Turkish Nation to live free and independent has been declared to the world. In the Sivas Congress, where the principles and foundations of the War of Independence and the Republic were laid; The National Struggle was started with the slogan "Either Independence or Death". At the Erzurum Congress; With the decisions "It is essential to make the national will and effective national forces dominant", it has been revealed that the future regime will be a republic. The "Republican" regime was marched towards the goal of the "Republican" regime with the statement "I was obliged to carry the great development ability that I felt in the conscience and future of the nation in my conscience as if it were a national secret, and to gradually apply it to the whole society". With the opening of the Grand National Assembly on April 23, 1920, the way to the republic was opened with the principle of "There is no power above the Assembly" and "National Sovereignty" was realized. A "Parliamentary government" was established under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who continued the resistance against the imperialists who occupied the country and carried out the National Struggle. In the 1st article of the 20 January 1921 Constitution; “Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation. The form of government is based on the fact that the people personally and actively manage their destiny. Atatürk, in the abolition of the Sultanate on November 1, 1922; “Sovereignty and Sultanate are not given by anyone to anyone by discussion, because it is based on science. Sovereignty is taken by force, by force, by force. They forcibly seized the dominance and reign of the Turkish Nation. The Turkish Nation has actually taken its sovereignty and reign into its own hands by rebelling against these aggressors”. The republic is based on unconditional national sovereignty, its essence is "secular" and its essence is based on "national consciousness". The people took the government directly into their own hands. With the National Sovereignty, the people were freed from being the servants of the palace and became free individuals of the Republic.
The Turkish army won the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief with the will of full independence and freedom, and the invading imperialist states poured into the sea in Izmir on September 9, 1922. The Mudanya Armistice was signed on 11 October 1922 and the Lausanne Peace Treaty was signed on 24 July 1923, and Turkey's independence was accepted by the world states. On October 13, 1923, Ankara became the Government Center of the Turkish State. It was necessary to reveal the name of the current regime with all its clarity and to elect the head of the new state. It is no coincidence that the biggest revolution in Turkish history, the Republic, was declared 16 days after Ankara was chosen as the capital.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in his Nutuk, "My greatest work is the Republic." He revealed the decision to proclaim the Republic, which he called the Republic, and the emergence of the new state, in an understandable and plain way. On August 11, 1923, the 2nd Assembly with 286 members was opened and elected as the President. Ataturk; “It was time to implement an idea that I was waiting for to be implemented. Let me admit it”. He resigned on October 24 due to the problems in the government headed by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Fethi Okyar, and Ali Fuat Cebesoy resigned from his position as the 2nd Speaker of the Parliament on the same day. Atatürk gathered the cabinet in Çankaya on October 26 to intervene in the events, and after examining the situation, it was decided to resign from the cabinet, except for Fevzi Çakmak, the Chief of General Staff, who was at the head of the armies, and the government resigned on October 27. The efforts to form a government could not be realized until 28 October and the problem could not be solved. This event in Nutuk; “We leave the ambitious group completely free to form a government. We do not see any inconvenience in forming a Council of Ministers and governing the country as they wish, without involving any deputies in the cabinet. But we are sure that they will not be able to form a government and run the country. The ambitious group, which tries to deceive the parliament, can lead to the crisis if they fail to form a government. Since it would not be permissible to continue the confusion and confusion, I thought that I could deal with the issue from the root by intervening myself and preaching the issue I envisioned, namely the proclamation of the Republic.” While returning to Çankaya from the Parliament on October 28, 1923, he decided that the expected moment had come. In Nutuk; "As I was leaving the Parliament building to go to Çankaya at night on October 28, I came across Kemâleddin Sami and Halit Karsıalan Pasha, who were waiting for me in the corridors. When I realized that they were waiting there until late to talk to me, they asked me to come to dinner, through the Minister of National Defense, Kazım Özalp Pasha. I told İsmet Pasha and Kazım Pasha and Fethi Okyar Bey to come to Çankaya with me. "Tomorrow, we will proclaim a Republic." During the meal, I said, "Tomorrow, we will proclaim a Republic." He explained to those present at the dinner how the Republic would be proclaimed, and at the Group meeting to be held on October 29, it was decided that Kemalettin Sami Pasha would invite Atatürk to the group with a motion.
Atatürk talks about the process leading to the proclamation of the Republic in Nutuk; “The friends we were with left early. Only İsmet Pasha was a guest in Çankaya. After being alone with him, we drafted a bill. In this draft, I added the sentence "The form of government of the State of Turkey is a republic" to the end of article 1 of the 20 January 1921 Constitution. Article 3; It is governed by the Turkish State Grand National Assembly. I organized the Assembly in such a way that it manages the branches of administration from which the government is separated, through the Ministers.” With the 8th and 9th articles, the President of Turkey is elected by the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and among its own members for an election period and the President of Turkey is the head of state. İsmet İnönü for that night when the fate of Turkey changed; “After sending the guests off, Atatürk told me to stay. First, we discussed the text of the law. A comparison was made between the old and the new on each item. Atatürk was dictating the result. I was writing. So, after the frame was complete, I read it again, listened carefully, thought, “Preparation is done,” he said. He gave permission to leave, and I retired to my room. The next morning we reviewed the text again and went to the assembly together”. Two heroes of the National Struggle set out for the regime change of the country.
On Monday, October 29, 1923, the People's Party Group met under the chairmanship of Fethi Okyar at 10:00, but the Council of Ministers could not be formed. Atatürk said that day in Nutuk; “During the interviews, I was at my house in Çankaya. Upon the acceptance of Kemalettin Sami Pasha's motion, I was invited to the meeting. I entered the meeting room, went straight to the podium and put forward the following opinion and proposal. Sirs, it has been understood that there is confusion in the opinions and that there is no consensus in the election of the members of the government. Give me an hour or so. I present the solution I will find”. The proposal was submitted and accepted by Fethi Okyar, at the meeting at 13.30 Atatürk; “Dear friends. I am of the opinion that the reason and cause of the issue that we are having difficulties in solving is understood by all my friends. The defect is in the manner and manner we follow. Your high committee has appointed me to deal with this difficulty. Inspired by this, I determined the way I thought. I will offer it. If my proposal is accepted, a strong and cohesive government will be possible. It is necessary to clarify some points of the Constitution, which determines the shape and nature of our state and is a goal for all of us. My proposition is this.” The law proposal he gave to the parliamentary clerk is "Cumhuriyet".
On October 29, at 18.00, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey convened and Antalya Deputy Rasih Kaplan Hodja; “The most appropriate form of government in terms of religion is the Republic. He expressed his opinion with the words “Long live the Republic”. Istanbul Deputy Abdurrahman Şeref Bey; “It is unnecessary to enumerate the forms of government one by one. Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation. Whoever you ask, the result is this republic. It is the name of the born child. But this name is not pleasing to some, so let it not come”. İsmet İnönü, Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey; He proposed that the draft regarding the amendments to be made in the Constitution be discussed first and immediately. "Acceptance!" The minutes were read on their voices and many speakers' applauded "Long Live the Republic!" With his speeches, the law proposal was accepted with the votes of all 158 deputies in the parliament. Speaker of the Assembly, Çorum Deputy İsmet Eker; “The bill was adopted unanimously.” explained in words. At 20.30 when the Republic was proclaimed, the streets of Ankara were filled with enthusiasm and now "Turkey is the Republic". State” and with the “proclamation of the Republic”, the sultanate order was ended. It was announced to the whole country on the same night and announced with 101 guns after midnight on all sides. With the proclamation of the Republic, the nation took its own sovereignty and the principle of republicanism from Atatürk's principles was implemented. Subsequently, voting was held for the election of the President and Deputy Chairman İsmet İnönü at the General Assembly at 20.45; "One hundred and fifty-nine people participated in the voting for the Presidency of Turkey, and one hundred and fifty-eight members unanimously elected Ankara Deputy Mustafa Kemal Pasha." He explained it with his word. The only vote that was abstained from was Atatürk's, and at the age of 42 "Long live Gazi. He became the first President of the Republic of Turkey with the voices of "Long Live Mustafa Kemal Pasha". Atatürk: "Due to the adoption of the draft law proposed to your high committee by the special commission established to clarify some articles of the Constitution, which is a valuable document for the real vigilance and consciousness of our esteemed nation, in the face of important and extraordinary events around the world, the Turkish State already has a worldwide reputation. its known and must-know nature was named internationally. By showing sincerity and trust once again, you prove your high value. For this, I would like to express my sincere thanks to your supreme delegation. . The victory of the Turkish nation, which created this high regime, in the last four years will show itself several times over from now on. From me, I have to present a need at a point that I consider very important. That need is the continuation of the love, trust and support that your supreme delegation has shown towards me. Only in this way, and with God's help, I hope that I will be able to do the best in the tasks that you have given me and will entrust to me. I will work by clinging to the hands of my esteemed friends very sincerely and firmly, not seeing myself away from their people for even a moment. We will always go forward together based on the love and trust of the nation. The Republic of Turkey will be happy, successful and victorious." He thanked his friends with his sincere, sincere, clear and concise words.
With the election of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to the Presidency, İsmet İnönü was appointed as the prime minister. The government of İsmet İnönü, the first government of the Republic, started his duty by receiving a vote of confidence from the parliament on October 30 and Fethi Okyar was elected as the chairman of the parliament. With the government system of the Turkish state being a republic, the state form of the regime has been determined and now it is directed towards the goals of the revolution to be made in the coming years. The steps to be taken in this direction have been revolutionary moves that will change the foundations of the administration, politics and cultural structure of the Turkish society that has been going on for centuries. With the Republic, the form of government elected by the people for a certain period of time and with certain powers, the monarchy and oligarchy, in which the right of sovereignty belongs to a person or family, has been abolished and a real revolution has been created. Ataturk; He stated that “in governments based on democracy, the dominance rests on the people and the majority of the people” and said, “The form of government that provides the most modern and logical application of the principle of democracy is the republic. The republic is the will based on moral virtue. Republic is virtue." He emphasized the qualities of the republic with his words. 29 October 1933, on the 10th anniversary of the Republic; "We made great and lots of things in such a short time. The biggest of these works is the Republic, which is based on Turkish heroism and high Turkish culture. The foundation of the Republic was established in the conscience, mind and consciousness of the great Turkish nation and our great army consisting of its heroic sons. Its principles were born from the spirit of the nation. The republican regime means the democracy system and the state form. We established the republic. When he turns ten, he must put into practice all the necessities of democracy in due course”. He stated that the Turkish nation is the property of the Turkish nation in every sense. The Republic of Turkey, founded under the leadership of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was realized after the life and death war against the most powerful states of the world. It has been accepted that the Republic is the most developed and most advanced modern state and government form that is most suitable for the nature and structure of the Turkish nation. Its basic principle is democracy, first of all it is an “Enlightenment Revolution” and its spirit is secular. “The Republic of Turkey has no official religion. All laws and regulations in state administration are made and applied according to the principles and forms provided by science to modern civilization and world needs. religious view, conscience Since it is sudden, the Republic sees keeping religious ideas separate from state and world affairs and politics as the main success factor in the contemporary progress of our nation. Atatürk saw the precondition of modernization as secularism, the proclamation of the Republic changed the source of sovereignty first of all, religious sovereignty was replaced by worldly sovereignty and the palace reign was ended, "National sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation" based on the parliamentary supremacy and the parliamentary system based on the Republic. given to the nation to its original owner. A new state was created that changed a whole way of life, from politics to law, from education to culture. In the republican regime, individuals are tied to the state not by religion, race, sect and class ties, but by citizenship and they are equal in all respects. With the proclamation of the Republic, the individual from the servant, the nation from the ummah, sovereignty was taken from the palace and given to the people, and a modern, contemporary, civilized and civilized state was established with the principle of "Democratic, Secular, Social and Legal" in accordance with "Mind" and "Science". In this context, the Republic; It is peaceful, revolutionary, open to development and change, it is a virtue, it is civilization, modernization, freedom and independence.
Ataturk; “I have full confidence that the cherished republic, which is the precious work of national heroism and consciousness, will rise and strengthen in the iron hands of today's and tomorrow's generation”. To the enlightened Turkish youth with positive knowledge, educated, cultured, confident in the future, free of thought, free of conscience and knowledge; “O rising new generation. You are the future. We builded the republic, you are the ones who raise it and keep it alive. O Turkish youth! Your first duty is to preserve and defend the Turkish Independence and the Turkish Republic forever. The power you need is in the noble blood in your veins.” He gave his directive and entrusted the republic to the youth. He stated that the value of freedom and independence will be embraced by modern educated, high-spirited and self-sacrificing youth. “My humble body will surely be soil one day. But the Republic of Turkey will stand firm forever”. The "Foundation Philosophy and Basic Values" of the Republic will always "rise" and "live forever" in the hands of the young children it has entrusted. The only way to fight against the threats and dangers posed to the Republic will be by strictly adhering to the "Philosophy of the Foundation of the Republic".
REFERENCES;
ATATÜRK, Gazi Mustafa Kemal, “NUTUK (1919-1927)”, 2006.
AYDEMİR, Şevket Süreyya, One Man, Mustafa Kemal (1922-1938), Remzi Bookstore, 1987.
AYDOĞAN, Text, Atatürk and the Turkish Revolution, İnkılâp Publishing House, 2006.
İNAN, Disaster, Civil Information and the Handwritings of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Atatürk Research Center, 2017.
LEWIS Bernard, The Birth of Modern Turkey, Turkish Historical Society, 2007.
SQUARE, Sinan, ATATÜRK Effect, Bankruptcy-Occupation-Resistance-Liberation, İnkılâp Publishing House, 2018.