I

ATATÜRK FOREST FARM

History of Atatürk Forest Farm

After Atatürk made the country independent with his unique victories, he put forward his thoughts and views on the development and progress of his country, especially in the economy, and made efforts to put them into practice.

Great leader, unique person Atatürk; "The foundation of the national economy is agriculture. That is why we must attach great importance to development in agriculture. Programmed and practical studies that will spread to the villages will make it easier to achieve this goal. However, in order to achieve this goal accurately, first of all, it is necessary to implement an agricultural policy based on serious studies, and to and it is necessary to establish an agricultural regime that all citizens can easily understand and apply with pleasure," he emphasized the place and importance of agriculture and agricultural development in the Turkish economy.

His philosophy, which he believed and valued without the slightest deviation throughout his life, his passion and longing for green, "The eyes that do not see green are deprived of the pleasure of color. Plant this place so that even a blind person realizes that he is among the greenery" is the most important idea in the establishment of Atatürk Forest Farm. has been a factor. In addition, a special reason for the establishment of Atatürk Forest Farm is the desire and longing to create a paradise, a natural beauty, where the people of Ankara, the capital city, which was established in the middle of the steppe, can easily travel, breathe and stay green in summer and winter. In order to realize this decision, he called the country's well-known agriculturalists to the mansion in the spring of 1925, saying that he wanted to establish a modern farm in the vicinity of Ankara, and ordered them to find a suitable land for this purpose. One of our agriculturalists, who is among these experts, conveys his memories of that day as follows. "We didn't see the need to wander so long for the farm place and search for other natural features around Ankara. The reason was simple. Barren is a medieval city in the middle of a steppe. There is no tree, no water, nothing. How can I find places that carry them?

"When our investigations were over, we presented the result to the great Chief. They pointed to the location of today's farm place with their hands and asked.

"Have you visited this place?

"We have said our common opinion that this place does not have any of the qualifications required for the establishment of a farm, and that it is a swamp, barren, poor place." Atatürk's answer to us was as follows.

"This is the place I wanted it to be. It is both a swamp, a barren and a bad place on the edge of Ankara. If we do not rehabilitate this place, who will come and rehabilitate it? It seems that Atatürk benefited from the agricultural experts to get the worst soil report, not the best soil." What he was looking for was not a farm land, but to prove that it was possible to settle the relationship between man and land and the equation arising from this relationship, even at a point where conditions were hardly suitable, while establishing a large dormitory.

When he chose the current location of Atatürk Orman Çiftliği, he sought the opinion of local and foreign experts on the yield status of the land. Among the reports given by the invited experts, there were those who claimed that no agricultural activity could be carried out on these lands, and there were also those who said that these lands could be improved with a hard struggle. Schmit, one of the experts of the Ministry of Agriculture, said in his report on the agricultural opportunities in the Forest Farm land, "This is such an enterprise that under unfavorable soil and climatic conditions, either patience runs out or money." These negative opinions of the experts served to reinforce his determination to establish a farm in Ankara, instead of diminishing it.

Atatürk wanted to show a brand new miracle to people who asked themselves how a person could live in a place where not even a tree could grow, and who considered Ankara's being the capital city to be an unforgivable mistake. In this way, he was also making a very important attempt to present the exemplary methods of a modern farm to Turkish agriculture, and to prove that it could be realized in attempts that, in some cases, even science did not see as possible.

Land Acquisition and Establishment

Atatürk, who preferred a place where even a tree does not grow for the farm, gave the order to immediately start working to establish the Gazi Forest Farm, which will set an example for domestic agriculture, with his desire and determination to take care of and personally manage the establishment works.

Among the orders given; Upon the notification by the agricultural experts that it had the worst agricultural conditions, the main issues were the purchase of the area that they claimed to be improved by pointing with their hands, the preparation of the management plans, the arrangement and improvement of the land, and the ability to immediately farm. First of all, 20,000 acres of land, on which the farm administration center, parks and vegetable gardens are located, was purchased from Faika Hanım, the wife of the late Abidin Pasha. The high price that Atatürk gave to the land he bought for the first time encouraged the sale of many unoperated pieces of land in the surrounding area by their owners. Thus, Etimesgut, Balgat, Cakirlar, Guvercinlik, Macun, Tahar and Yagmur Baba farms were also purchased.

The Great Leader, who completed the establishment of the farm with all these works, realized his two main goals in this enterprise. In this way, he not only gave the first examples of modern agricultural techniques to the agriculture of Turkey, but also realized his desire to create a recreation area that would not compare to the Kayaş Valley, which was the only recreation spot of the people of Ankara until then, and even superior to it in every aspect.

Donation of the Farm to the Treasury

Great Atatürk, "Not even a tree grows, how can people live here?" He completed his work in a very short time, which he planned to set up in a place called , and realized all but one of the goals he wanted to reach.

The final goal for him was to present Atatürk Forest Farm, along with his other farms, as a gift to his Nation, whom he loved and valued very much. Because he was very pleased to share all his achievements, from the smallest to the biggest, with his nation, not only in Turkey but also around the world.

Since this great work, which was built on solid foundations, had a structure that could be developed continuously, there was no matter to worry about donation.

With this in mind, the Great Leader, who instructed the Land Registry Administration for the preparation of the necessary official documents regarding the transfer of his farms and properties to the state, visited the Marmara Mansion in the farm on 11.05.1937 to sign the documents prepared. Atatürk, with a memorandum dated 11.06.1937, which he wrote to the Prime Ministry after the transfer process, states that he donated all the facilities, animal assets and fixtures, as well as his savings, Forest Farm, and other farms to the treasury.

After the farm was donated to the treasury by Atatürk, it was deemed necessary and beneficial to establish an agricultural state enterprise in order to manage it together with other farms in accordance with its establishment and to ensure their progress as exemplary enterprises on the path of continuous development.

This establishment started its activities under the name of "State Agricultural Enterprises" with the law numbered 3308, which entered into force on 13.01.1938. Within the framework of the principles determined by the law, the Forest Farm was transferred to the State Agricultural Enterprises Institution.

The Brewery, which made a great contribution to the income of the farm and was established by Atatürk for this purpose, was transferred to the Tekel General Directorate during this period (6.07.1937).

With the closure of the State Agricultural Affairs Authority on 28.02.1950, it became a part of the General Directorate of State Production Farms, which was established on 01.03.1950.

Source : www.aoc.gov.tr

II

How And Why Did Atatürk Establish The Ankara Forest Farm?

The Great Leader Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha wanted to add the agricultural revolution to the great revolutions he created and to guide the backward peasants and farmers, who constitute the main structure of the Turkish nation, in the way of innovation in our age, and to guide them by farming. For this reason, he envisioned establishing an exemplary farm around the city of Ankara.

But the concerned, to His Excellency Gazi: “Ankara is a very different highland climate with dry summers, its soil is chalky, infertile, barren and barren. These soils, which are weak in food strength, are not suitable for successful agriculture and growing all kinds of plants, it will never be possible to run an ideal farm here and it will result in loss. It would be better if you set up a sample farm in a fertile part of İzmir or Aydın. they were saying.

His Excellency, to those who say this:

-“You speak very well, but I am not going to live in Izmir or Aydın.” he was answering.

His Excellency Gazi was successful in many reforms and innovations that he initiated for the Turkish nation. He would certainly do whatever good he conceived and set his mind to. Difficult was not important to him and he liked difficult.

Disregarding what was said, at the beginning of 1925, a bare, treeless land of 20,000 decares with marsh and reeds, which is a steppe with the Ankara-Eskişehir railway line in the middle, five kilometers from Ankara, was purchased by Gazi His Excellency. He decided to set up a sample farm here, as the purchased place is close to the center of Ankara and its field is wide.

His Excellency Gazi, on the 5th of May 1925, set up two large tents on the slopes of two hills, called "Dark Derealtı", and started the farm business with two tractors.

His Excellency, Gazi, brought as the manager to the business of establishing a farm, Tahsin (Coşkan), a valuable agriculturalist who had previously taught at Bursa Agricultural School and was a manager at Ankara Agricultural School, graduated from Istanbul Halkalı Higher Agricultural School and had many experiences in the field of agriculture. *

Agriculture was a very large and diverse business. Tahsin Bey would find and employ knowledgeable and distinguished personnel in the separate fields required for each branch. Everything would be done according to the plan, and the plan would be presented to His Excellency, and his approval would be obtained.

The purpose of the plan of the model farm that His Excellency was establishing was to do the following:

1 — To dry up the swamp on this land, which spoils Ankara's air, and to grow forests here and beautify the air.

2 — Experiencing some agricultural plants that are not planted due to malpractice although it is possible to grow them in the Ankara climate, and to show them to the public and the farmers, and to spread them.

3 — To improve the seeds in the farmer's hands.

4 — To plant fruit and fruitless saplings and distribute them to the public in order to afforest every part of Ankara, which is bare and treeless.

5 — To raise and reproduce some productive good breed animals and chickens that were not in that area until then, and give them as breeding stock to the villagers.

6 — To show the villagers how mechanized agriculture is done in order to make a broad and scientific agriculture, to encourage the villagers to use mechanized agriculture by explaining the benefits of mechanized agriculture, and to inform the villagers by opening courses in every field.

7 — To provide cheap and clean best quality food to the public by selling various crops produced by establishing every branch of agriculture, such as beekeeping, dairy farming, poultry farming, vegetable growing, fruit farming and viticulture on the farm.

8 — To build a large woodland and forest area as a recreation area, picnic and entertainment area in order to meet the fresh air needs of the people of Ankara.

9 — High school graduates who will enter the Higher Agricultural School opened in Ankara, work in this farm for one year and receive internships.

Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who took up a great civilization case in Turkey, in one of his speeches: “Most of our nation is farmers. We must maximize the efforts of our peasants in farming with century and economic measures. For this reason, it is necessary to work on the use and production of knowledge, tools and technical tools that will increase the work of the farmer and make it fruitful, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is necessary to take economic measures that will ensure that they benefit from the results of their work to the maximum extent. he said.

His Excellency Gazi succeeded in establishing the Forest Farm, which he envisioned in a short time, by collecting agricultural staff who understand agriculture and farm works, working in a programmed and knowledgeable manner, and spending a lot of effort and money.

Just as His Excellency Ghazi achieved the goal that he set with firmness and perseverance in every reform work he initiated, he also knew how to adapt nature to his own desires in the agricultural business by fighting and struggling with nature, and experienced almost all branches of agriculture in the modern farm he established in this place where many people said that nothing would happen. obtained positive results and thus became a sample and guide for Turkish farmers.

His Excellency Gazi wanted cooperatives to be established in order to raise the economy of the farmers and to protect the goods they produced and sell them at their worth, and he registered himself as a member of the Agricultural Credit Cooperative as an incentive.

In 1927, I was working in the Nursery Office of the Ankara Municipality Gardens Directorate. One day, Tahsin Bey, the Director of Ankara Gazi Forest Farm, came to the Gardens Directorate to buy flowers. The Gardens Manager, Salih Bey, introduced me to Tahsin Bey, whom he taught while studying at Bursa Agricultural School. After talking for a while, Tahsin Bey invited me to the farm.

A week later, I took the train to Gazi Orman Çiftliği to talk to Tahsin Bey and see the farm I was wondering about. When I entered the farm, I came across not very big green trees and newly built modern buildings. I found Tahsin Bey in the public administration building. He was glad that I came. While talking to Tahsin Bey, he went to Ankara in 1921 during the time of the Grand National Assembly Government, after staying for a while in the cities close to the places where the war was fought in Anatolia with my stepfather and mother, who were officers at a time when the War of Independence was going on fiercely. I told him that we had come and lived in these places, which are now farms, when I was a 15-year-old student, as a steppe with nothing planted on it. Mr. Tahsin, to me: "Come now, let's tour the farm together, and then see what happens to the places where there is nothing cultivated by working." said.

We started to tour the farm with Tahsin Bey. Tahsin Bey first showed me the towered mansion with a flower garden and a pool in front of it:

- “His Excellency, when he comes to the farm, stays in this mansion.” said.

Then, pointing to the flat and acacia saplings planted on the green area to the north of the farm, he said that this was a swamp and reed area before, that after the swamp was dried and the reeds were removed, they planted acacia saplings from agricultural schools in some provinces and this area would be turned into a forest. Tahsin Bey continued his speech as follows:

-“At the farm, tree planting is our primary goal. Because the acacia tree grows easily in almost any climate and soil conditions, His Excellency Gazi wanted the first plant to grow on the farm to be acacia.” said.

While continuing to tour the farm, Tahsin Bey showed the fruit saplings planted somewhere:

- “After cultivating these lands deeply and reclaiming them with plenty of farm manure, we planted 3000 various fruit saplings, this will be the orchard of the farm.” said.

The saplings that were planted grew in height and some of them began to bear fruit, albeit a little. The lands in a part of the farm, facing south of the farm, were made with chrysism and American vine rootstocks that are resistant to lime and phylloxera were planted and the best kind of local grape varieties were grafted on them and a large vineyard was established.

In the farm, thousands of forest saplings were planted on bare treeless ridges, and the planted saplings grew in size, gave branches and leaves, and formed wide greenery. A few years later, these saplings would turn into trees and become an artificial forest, giving shade to those who sit under them and those who come for picnics. Golden ears of wheat fluttered in the vast fields of the farm.

The farm was mechanized, farming was done using the most modern tools and equipment. Scientific coops were built on the farm to raise breed chickens. When we went to the poultry houses with Tahsin Bey, the officer who looked after the chickens greeted us. As soon as I saw this officer, I immediately recognized him. The officer named Saim was my colleague. He recognized me and was surprised when he saw me. I told him that I came to see the farm upon the invitation of Tahsin Bey and that I was working as a nursery officer in Ankara Gardens Directorate. Mr. Saim gave me information about chickens and explained that they produced Legorn and Rodeylant chickens that lay 200-250 eggs a year.

While continuing to show the farm, Tahsin Bey spoke as follows about the work they will do:

- “Ankara's honey has been famous for a long time. We will attach great importance to the development of beekeeping. We will bring and breed cow breeds such as Dutch and Simental, which give 3000 kilos of milk a year for dairy, cheese and butter making, and we will also work on domestic and Arabian horses and various sheep and goat breeds.” said.

I was fascinated by the work done on the farm in a short period of three years and appreciated the scientific work. Before leaving the farm, I thanked Tahsin Bey very much, congratulated him for his successful work on the farm, which is a great work of the great Gazi, and asked him when his nibs came to the farm.

Mr. Tahsin:

He said, “His Excellency came to the farm frequently, visited all parts of the farm and examined it with precision, was closely involved with everything on the farm, and sometimes stayed at the farm and held meetings.”

-As I was leaving, asking Tahsin Bey's permission, he said to me: "I'll wait again, summer and winter, the farm is always open to everyone." said.

Quite a while had passed. I went to Gazi Forest Farm again one day in the hope that I might meet Gazi, whom I love very much, and maybe see him. But I could not find the farm manager Tahsin Bey. Odacı said that His Excellency Gazi came to the farm and that he had guests with him, and Tahsin Bey was with them. I couldn't go to them. Because talking to Gazi and being accepted by him was not an easy task.

I went to the coops where my farmer friend, who takes care of the chickens, is located. Saim Bey, the officer who takes care of the chickens, was there and greeted me as "welcome". While I was talking here and there with Saim Bey, who was glad that I had come, we saw that His Excellency Gazi was coming towards the coops with his aides, the farm manager Tahsin Bey, and four or five other people behind him. I immediately jumped up with joy to see His Excellency Ghazi closely and meet him. But Mr. Saim was very alarmed and regretfully said to me:

-“There are four sick chickens in the henhouse. If His Majesty sees these sick chickens now, they will scold me for not taking good care of the chickens and maybe put me out of business.” said.

His Excellency Gazi came in front of the coops with those behind him. Mr. Saim, myself and the two workers working in the coops lined up to greet Gazi and bowed respectfully to him. His Excellency entered the promenade of the chickens, which was surrounded by wide wires. Then the farm manager Tahsin Bey followed Saim Bey Gazi, who was taking care of the chickens. The chickens were roaming the promenade out of their coops. While examining the chickens, His Excellency immediately noticed the four chickens that were sick inside. Sick chickens had a cold. They had their heads down, snot-like water running from their nostrils and mouths. Chickens that looked debilitated weren't even eating feed.

After looking at the condition of the sick chickens with attention and curiosity, His Excellency Gazi called Saim Bey to his side and said:

"What happened to these chickens?" said. Saim Bey was very scared, he rubbed his hands and said in a shaky voice:

-"Pasha, something happened, something happened," he stammered and was speechless. Saim Bey could not say anything, the words that came out of his mouth as a whisper could not be understood and sweat was pouring from his temples in desolation.

When his veteran niece Saim Bey saw that he was very afraid, he did not say anything to him anymore. Turning to Tahsin Bey, the farm manager standing behind him, he said:

-“Don't you know about the disease of these chickens? Didn't Mr. Saim not inform you of their condition?" asked.

Mr. Tahsin:

- “No, His Excellency Pasha, he did not report it. Maybe the chickens just got sick.” he replied. Your Excellency, again to Tahsin Bey:

"It is not to be neglected, always check everything, separate these sick chickens from the healthy ones and show them to the vet immediately and have them treated," he said.

Mr. Tahsin:

He immediately reserved the sick chickens by saying "You are welcome, Pasha," and sent Mr. Saim to the phone and asked him to call a veterinarian. Tahsin Bey, who saw me in this rush, said to me:

"Welcome, His Excellency Gazi has guests, I'm busy with them, we can't talk today, I'll wait another time," said Gazi His Excellency, who was walking away, and ran after his group to catch up with them.

His Excellency, Gazi, as in his other reforms, was sensitive to farm works.

In the following years, a Beekeeping Branch was established based on science, giving great importance to beekeeping on the farm, and the Dadan system built many beehives to feed bees, produce honey, and establish a brewery to produce beer. It was obtained and distributed to the farmer. Cows such as Holland, Jersey, Simental, Karaman, Merinos, Kıvırcık, Türkistan Karagül sheep breeds and Legorn, Faverol, Rodeylant chickens that gave a lot of eggs were raised and produced and given to the farmer as a breeder.

His Excellency Gazi wanted to make some of the plows and agricultural tools brought from abroad every year so that our money would not go abroad and to teach art to Turkish children. His Excellency Gazi, who wanted to remove the plow, which had been used by Anatolian villagers for centuries, and to use plows instead, started the production of plows and some agricultural tools by establishing a plow factory on the farm in 1930 and provided cheap plows to the farmer.

His Excellency Gazi had two pools, called Marmara and Black Sea, built on the farm in order to cool off and meet the beach needs of the people who came to the farm to have a picnic due to the hot weather of Ankara in the summer, and he opened casinos and restaurants for the people to eat.

Pasteurized milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter, eggs, honey, grapes, wine, various fruits and all agricultural crops obtained from various branches of the farm were put up for sale in stores opened in Ankara, thereby providing cheap and clean food to the public.

A zoo was established in the farm, which meets the recreational needs of the people of Ankara, for the children to have fun and to get to know the animals.

High school graduates, who came to study at the Faculty of Agriculture and will work in various agricultural jobs in the country in the future, did their farm practice and internship at the Forest Farm.

The agricultural system made on the farm, which was established based on the latest economic management methods, has become an agricultural method sample for the Central Anatolian farmer.

If we look at the undeniable present existence of the Forest Farm created by His Excellency, we can better understand the magnitude and value of the efforts and efforts made in the past.

FAZIL DALAY*

* Tahsin Coşkan also served as Kastamonu Deputy and Ministry of Agriculture for a while.

Source: Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi Dergisi, Sayı:11, Cilt IV, Mart 1988