I would like to tell you about our modern Turkey, created by Atatürk, a great person who was rarely raised by history, as a friend of yours who followed a large part of that period closely and was filled with excitement. It is not easy to summarize these reforms that Atatürk accomplished in a very short time. But if I can at least convey something in terms of headlines, I will consider myself happy.

Today, countries are classified according to their forms and levels of development. A distinction is made between developed and developing countries. We will not go into the details of this. Our aim is to briefly dwell on the modernization phases initiated by Atatürk and continued by the generations that followed him.

Most of the developing countries are in Asia, South America and Africa. The aim in these countries is to get rid of being tied to their traditions and become westernized and Europeanized. Societies at the stage of development take western countries and Europe as an example.

There are some important conditions in the process of being contemporary. Literacy is one of them. It is essential to expand literacy, which falls to a small percentage of the population, and to facilitate learning. Education should be expanded as much as possible.

The more important point is that the society attains a secular order. Today, forms of government that derive their power from divine sources are no longer respected. In modern states, political powers derive their power from the will of the people instead of religious and divine resources. For this reason, the principle of secularism is the cornerstone of the modern state order. In a secular state, people have the freedom of religion and conscience. Personal freedom is assured. Educational institutions and the quality and quantity of education are regulated according to secular principles. No one is forced to train according to the rules of religion or denomination. The structure of the state and the functioning of the administration are regulated not according to the principles of religion, but in accordance with reason, logic, needs and the necessities of life. As a natural consequence of all these, equality between men and women also dissolves by itself. Relationships between men and women, in terms of rights and law,

Another important factor in the contemporary state is the sharing of national income. In order for the modernization process to function uninterruptedly, the economic environment must be orderly and fair. The principle of Social State, which is widely used today, has started to take place in the constitutions because of this need. The Mixed Economy System applied even in the most developed countries is an extension of this view.

Dear Listeners,

Atatürk's inclination towards modernity as a person goes back to very old times, his youth years. It is known that he is one of the pioneers in being contemporary with some exemplary behaviors. The most important of the principle decisions he took in his intellectual life was to be a person who complied with the requirements of "contemporary civilization". It is the words "contemporary civilization" and "contemporary" that he used to mean contemporary.

Atatürk was a distinguished intellectual who made studies since his youth. As it can be understood from the examination made by Gündüz D. Tüfekçi in the library in Anıtkabir, Atatürk had a life full of intellectual work. One of the most interesting writers of the constitutional period, Dr. He has read many books by many Turkish and foreign authors, including Abdullah Cevdet and Ziya Gökalp, on subjects such as language, history, philosophy, economy and military service. He studied most of them to the end, took notes, identified questions, and read them with great interest and attention. A glance at the Atatürk library during your visit to Anıtkabir will suffice to get an idea of ​​the extent of the situation.

It is known that Atatürk was determined at some points while he was at the beginning of the work. In the memoirs of Mazhar Müfit Kansu, “In the conversation that lasted until the morning on 7/8 July 1919, the issues such as the establishment of the republic after the victory of Mustafa Kemal, the necessary treatment regarding the sultan and the dynasty, the fez, the dress, the letter revolution were kept secret for now. We see that he refers to

On September 9, 1922, the enemy poured into the sea in Izmir and the Mudanya Armistice Agreement was signed. Peace negotiations in Lausanne had started, but due to the difficulty of the issues, reaching a conclusion was taking a long time. In the meantime, Mustafa Kemal went on a tour of Western Anatolia on January 14, 1923, in order to see the parts of the homeland and contact the people. Starting from Eskişehir, the first stop, he gave speeches in Arifiye, Izmit, Bursa, Alaşehir, Salihli, Turgutlu, Manisa, Izmir, Akhisar and Balikesir. In Izmit, his private conversation with journalists from Istanbul and his second conversation with the public in the Izmit cinema hall are very interesting. In the question-answer conversation he had with Istanbul journalists, it was clear that there were revolutions.

During the National Struggle, Mustafa Kemal told his close friends:

“We will definitely save the country from the invasion of the enemy. But our task will not end there. We will be among the civilized nations,” he said.

Mustafa Kemal should have been weighing in his mind in those days: To secularize the state structure, law, women's rights and above all education; not to interfere with anyone's religious beliefs and freedom of conscience, but to strictly separate religion and state, religion and law; Establishing a new Turkish State with the personality required by the age, reason and the way of civilization... In his eyes, this is the only way out.

Atatürk is one of those who know very well the characteristics and character of the Turkish nation. “This country will certainly be civilized. For us, this is the case of life. I have a lot of contact with the public. That pure mass, you don't know how innovative it is," he said.

If we summarize these views, we reach the conclusion that “Atatürk is a rational, scientific and realistic leader”. While starting the National Liberation Movement and making its revolutions, he chose his target very well at the beginning of the road, and kept the vital importance of education under the leadership of reason and science.

Mustafa Kemal, who went to Samsun on 19 May 1919, made the following decision in an effort to organize scattered ideas and movements on national liberation in those days: “To lead a movement to be led from Anatolia”. Atatürk expressed this view later in his Great Speech: “There was only one decision. He also summarized it as “to establish an independent state based on national sovereignty, unconditionally, unconditionally”.

In the reports he presented from Samsun, where he went as an army inspector, and the information he gave, there were words that would make the Sultan and the Government suspicious. In Erzurum, he did not obey the order he received to return and resigned from the military with the aim of "continuing his struggle in the hearts of the nation". He left his rank and insignia and continued to work as a simple citizen in the "National Organization" with which he was already associated. He was elected as the Chairman of the Representative Committee in the congresses of this organization convened in Erzurum and Sivas. On April 23, 1920, he took his place as a deputy in the Grand National Assembly convened in Ankara. He was elected Speaker of the Assembly. Now, Mustafa Kemal, as the authorized head of the Assembly and Government, entered the period of "establishing a new state" on the last remaining pieces of the empire.

Dear Listeners,

What was our country like in the Ottoman period? Let's take a brief look.

Towards the end of the 17th century, the Ottoman Empire was one of the largest countries in the world in terms of territory. Today, about fifteen states near us were included in this border. The Black Sea, the Marmara, the Aegean Sea, and the Red Sea were all Turkish seas. Turkish lands stretched on the shores of the Adriatic and Persian Gulfs. A huge country of roughly four million square kilometers... Population, about twenty-five million... Besides the dominant race Turks, Greeks, Latins, Slavs, Circassians, Georgians, Semitic Arabs and Jews and other minor ethnic groups... All these races are loyal to their own language, religion and traditions... Turks are extremely respectful of these freedoms... As a natural result of this, a society lacking the unity of language, religion and culture, Islam, Christian and Jewish religions are free in the field of practice, up to sectarian differences. . However, the structure and organization of the state is based on the foundations of Sharia, the Empire is represented by Muslim Turks. Westernization (contemporary) movements started among the Turks, who are the dominant element in this society, where there were very tense disagreements, conflicts and enthusiasm for separation among them, from time to time, by taking the life of European countries and people as an example, but none of them could reach their goal. We can accept the starting point of this as the Tanzimat period. The disintegration period of the state, which had started much earlier, accelerated from that date on, and the country shrunk, fragmented and disintegrated, spending almost all its years in wars, rebellions, revolts, and new dissolutions. Westernization (contemporary) movements started among the Turks, who are the dominant element in this society, where conflicts and enthusiasm for separation were not lacking, from time to time, taking the life of European countries and people as an example, but none of them could reach their goal. We can accept the starting point of this as the Tanzimat period. The disintegration period of the state, which had started much earlier, accelerated from that date on, and the country shrunk, fragmented and disintegrated, spending almost all its years in wars, rebellions, revolts, and new dissolutions. Westernization (contemporary) movements started among the Turks, who are the dominant element in this society, where conflicts and enthusiasm for separation were not lacking, from time to time, taking the life of European countries and people as an example, but none of them could reach their goal. We can accept the starting point of this as the Tanzimat period. The disintegration period of the state, which had started much earlier, accelerated from that date on, and the country shrunk, fragmented and disintegrated, spending almost all its years in wars, rebellions, revolts, and new dissolutions.

We should not forget that the weak characters of the last sultans also played a role during this disintegration and fragmentation. Dear Listeners,

In the days when Mustafa Kemal went to Samsun, all of Istanbul and Thrace, and all regions of economic value, starting from the coastal areas of Anatolia, were occupied as a "zone of influence". Here is our “National Pact” border, which he aimed to save with the National Struggle, the homeland at the time the Armistice of Mudros was signed, and the places where the Turks constituted the dominant population. With the Treaty of Lausanne, this border was provided with some minor differences. But the country is still under the influence of superstitious traditions, bigotry and reaction. That's why, right after the liberation of Izmir, Mustafa Kemal said to his companions: “We won the war, but our work is not over. Now it's time to do what really needs to be done.” he said. These "works" that Atatürk talked about and will focus on are, in his words, "contemporary". Atatürk loved this idiom and used it a lot. I would like to repeat his words that are frequently published next to his picture on his death anniversary: ​​“The country will definitely be modern, civilized and new”.

After the War of Independence, on 29 October 1923, after the Constitution was amended and the Republic was officially accepted and proclaimed, the movement to become modern began and followed each other with great speed. In fact, although the name of the Republic, based on populism and national will, was not explicitly stated, it had already been accepted with the words "Sovereignty belongs to the Nation" on April 23, 1920. The TGNA resolution separating the Caliphate and the Sultanate on November 1, 1922 can be considered the first sign that paved the way for the Presidency. However, the official proclamation of the Republic and the unanimous election of Atatürk as the Head of State took place on 29 October 1923.

What did the Turkish nation do in the face of this series of revolutions? The social anthropologist Gürbüz Tüfekçi answers the question as follows: Turkish society was not western, but it was open to the management of an honest and knowledgeable leader, it was enterprising. Atatürk had scientifically determined the existence of the traits in the Turkish nation and that they came from history. The Turkish nation, with comfortable and safe steps, walked along the path of "determining its future independently and freely in the direction of civilization", which history has kept closed to itself for several centuries, together with Atatürk. The Turkish nation, with all its heart, aimed to benefit from the blessings of the revolutions in the footsteps of their ancestors and to rise to the level of the people of western countries. But even among Atatürk's companions, some hesitations began to appear and there were those who longed for a return. The assassination attempt that occurred during the Aegean region trip in 1926 was met with regret by the whole nation. Entrepreneurs were caught and sentenced to penalties. In this sad event, Atatürk made the following statement that consoled the nation. “My humble body will surely become soil one day, but the Republic of Turkey will stand forever”. Even in the face of death threats, that great man was thinking of his country and nation.

Despite the events such as the beginning of the Sheikh Said rebellion in 1925, the Menemen uprising and the martyrdom of Kubilay in 1930, and the stirrings against the Turkish adhan in Bursa in 1933, the Turkish people managed to welcome the revolutions with enthusiasm. The uprisings were quickly suppressed.

In the book titled "Ataturkism, Foundations of Kemalist Thought System", the YÖK publication prepared by our five distinguished masters, which I had the opportunity to read for the last time, Prof. Dr. Turhan Feyzioğlu system; He focused on such features as rationality, giving importance to science, tolerance, staying away from bigotry, respect for freedom of conscience and thought, peace at home, and commitment to the principle of peace in the world. It should be noted that almost all of Atatürk's reforms are based on these principles. I think that this textbook should be read carefully not only by students but also by everyone, and even making it a bedside book in every house, in terms of gaining the time we lost.

Dear Listeners,

Let me briefly mention a few of the reforms that I consider important, as an old friend of yours who has followed the implementations closely.

Secular Revolution

Secularism based on tolerance, in its broadest sense, requires that religious affairs and state affairs should not be confused with each other. Secularism is freedom of conscience and belief. Although non-Muslims in the Ottoman Empire had this freedom, only the Muslim people were deprived of this right. Atatürk said: “Every person has the right and freedom to think what he wants, to believe what he wants, to have a political opinion of his own, to fulfill the requirements of a religion he chooses or not. No one's opinions and consciences can not be the judge".

Fatih, who conquered Byzantium, showed great respect and interest in works of art and science, gathered local and foreign artisans and scientists around him with freedom of conscience and tolerance, established the Fatih Madrasa, which would form the foundation of Istanbul University, and also hosted foreign scientists there. had placed.

Unfortunately, this interest in science and art, respect for free thought did not last long, while the lights of the Renaissance were burning in the West, madrasahs in Islam fell into the discussions of Ulumu Akliye-Ulumu Transport and even the rulers were tied to the institution of fatwa, which was not enough. flux like arrive! they strayed into undesirable ways.

The caliphate, in my opinion, cost the Ottoman Empire dearly. Atatürk says: “The happiest period of our history is when our rulers were not caliphs”. The institution of the caliphate is the gift of Yavuz Sultan Selim to us. In the beginning, it was aimed to integrate the Islamic world with the Ottoman Empire, which was mostly Turks, and to provide a great power, and it also achieved some success. However, over time, this aim was moved away from, and while the Renaissance was developing in the West, the Islamic society was stuck in superstitions and headed towards dark days.

One of the exemplary examples showing how blind bigotry led to a pause at a time when the West began to advance rapidly on the path of science is the fact that Muslims in the Ottoman Empire were deprived of an extremely useful invention such as the printing press for 277 years.

While Jews, Greeks, Armenians, and even Christian Arabs were free to print whatever they wanted in the Ottoman country, the theocratic order deprived the Muslim Turkish citizens of the Ottoman Empire from the blessings of this great invention for centuries.

If you eliminate the obligation to obtain a fatwa from a religious authority in order to use the printing press, the religion of Islam will not be harmed. Only a method that hindered progress on the path of civilization would have been abolished, and the theocratic state would have left its place to the secular state.

During the Tanzimat period, when the first steps towards westernization were taken, Mecelle was created to replace the sharia law, many translations were made from the laws of western countries, new courts were established, and modern schools were opened. But since these movements could not be put into practice, it was seen that "duality prevailed" in almost every field. Falih Rıfkı Atay describes that period as follows: Madrasa next to the school, Sharia law next to the new laws, Seriye courts next to the civil courts, kadi next to the judge, mufti next to the governor, sheikh al-Islam next to the grand vizier, even in 1920.

In reality, although the religion of Islam is a religion that recommends "working as if you will never die" and rejects laziness and laziness, for some reason it has strayed into the philosophy of "we do not need this false world". This view is contrary to the essence of Islam. Besides the views of scientists, see what Atatürk says:

“Our religion states that not working has nothing to do with humanity. Some people think that being modern is being a disbeliever. The real blasphemy is their mistaken assumption. What is the purpose of those who make this wrong interpretation, other than to want Islam to be enslaved by the infidels?... Of course, there are many reasons for the oppression and misery suffered by the people of Islam. If the Islamic world had carried out the orders of Allah, it would not have suffered these fates. Allah's order is to work hard. Let me admit, our enemies work hard. We have to work harder than them. Working doesn't mean getting tired or sweating for nothing. According to the requirements of the time, it is necessary to make maximum use of science and all kinds of civilized inventions and inventions.

prof. Dr. In Turhan Feyzioğlu's words, it was now necessary to make a decision about becoming a secular state, which was the “stone of revolutions”. Mustafa Kemal made this decision, which he designed at the beginning of the road, more clear and distinct as of March 3, 1923.

Falih Rıfkı Atay lists the chain of revolutions as follows:

“With the abolition of the Seriye and Evkaf mandates, the first step towards a secular state was taken and this movement was the beginning of the revolutions. “In 1924, the Serie courts were abolished and the unity of justice” was ensured. Hats would be worn in August 1925, and lodges would be closed in November of the same year. The Civil Code would lay the foundations of the new society. Finally, with the constitutional amendments in 1928, the state would become completely secular, and the Latin script would be adopted in the same year, and the work of revolution would be complete. This means that the revolutions of modernity, if we take the proclamation of the Republic as the starting date, lasted for five years and a month, from October 29, 1923 to November 3, 1928. After that, the whole business was digesting the new order into the whole community. And this depended on putting the people of Turkey through an education based on a hundred percent positive science”.

Atatürk, who implemented his reforms as a principle based on the decision of the assembly, forced the Assembly for the first time during the proclamation of the Republic. Falih Rıfkı Atay tells about this event that he witnessed closely.

“It was in the Council... it was in the audience. Standing in front of him, he shouted loudly:

- Dominion and sultanate are not given to anyone by negotiation, because they are the necessities of knowledge. Domination and sultanate are taken by force. The Turkish nation has taken this sovereignty into its own hands. Now, this nation is not asked if you want to leave the sultanate. The issue is a fait accompli and will be unbelievable. If the people gathered here, the Assembly and everyone see the issue as natural, it will be acceptable. Otherwise, the truth will be expressed procedurally.”

The secularism reform that Mustafa Kemal put into practice was actually a major and fundamental religious reform. Falih Rıfkı Atay adds the following to this issue:

“God showed that these provisions should follow the evolution of society by changing the law given to a prophet in the second prophet, and even by removing the order in one verse in another verse.

All religious matters in Islam are divided into two major parts: The first part concerns the Hereafter, which is worship. Fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, zakat... The second part concerns the world; these are marriage and family law, and property, debt, litigation relations and penal provisions called ukubat. Kemalism abolished all the provisions of the verse except the worships.

Atatürk had started his worship revolution by translating the adhan and prayer times and the Qur'an into Turkish.

First, the azan was translated into Turkish. If Atatürk had survived, there was no doubt that the worship reform would have been successful and put on track.”

Atatürk is not alone in making the worship in Turkish.

Ziya Gökalp, who came to Ankara on 13 June 1921 and joined the National Struggle movements, was also a supporter of the Turkishization of the Qur'an, and he expressed this view in his poem Vatan.

Azan is read in Turkish in a mosque in a country

The villager understands the meaning of the prayer in the prayer

The Turkish Quran is read in a school in a country.

Everyone, big or small, knows the command of Hüdâ

O Turkoglu, that is your homeland.

Unfortunately, this reform movement was not properly focused on.

There have been deviations in the years following Atatürk's death. The first significant deviation was made in 1950 with the law that allowed the azan to be read in Arabic. Thus, since then, the call to prayer has been recited in Arabic all over Turkey. This is how the first legal concession from Atatürk's principles was made.

Atatürk's understanding of civilization had a quality that surpassed many thinkers of his age... Being against conservatism was the basis of Atatürk's principles and mentality. “The new understanding of society that he gifted to the world was even beyond the forms of government in our age.”

In this regard, as a final document, I would like to refer to Milliyet Columnist Talat Halman's article titled “Reading the Qur'an”.

Halman, while giving information about the works in line with this request of Atatürk, who focuses on the Turkishization of the Qur'an, adds the following: “Although all other religions have respectfully preserved the first language of their books, they have also translated them into all national languages. Translations may not have been as powerful as the first language, but at least they made large masses of them conscious believers.” (Milliyet 1987)

It should definitely be said that Atatürk was not against religion in any way, but was in favor of making it modern. After the transition to the multi-party system, many things were put forward on this subject, and the propaganda that mosques were closed and worship was prohibited during Atatürk's reign. As a person who lived in that period, I can assure you that these allegations are unfounded. It is not mosques that are closed, but dervish lodges and zaviyes. What is prohibited is not worship, but dervish lodges, such as stabbing skewers and needles, playing with fire, hitting the bodies with chains until they bleed, like magicians.

At that time, we knew that Fevzi Çakmak, one of Atatürk's close friends in struggle, was a leader who continued his worship. The deceased, who was in charge of a key point like the General Staff, would pray within civilized standards without visiting mosques and mosques, and would continue his official duties and life with due dignity. Even the most famous commanders of that period did not want to be buried in the sultan's tombs.

According to Halman, Atatürk asked our famous poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy to translate the Qur'an into Turkish, but this was not possible. During the Republican period, the first Turkish Quran was published by Ömer Rıza Doğrul, Er-soy's son-in-law, and many more translations were made later. In my opinion, the most scientific and appropriate translation is the three-volume publication of the Presidency of Religious Affairs in 1960, during the national unity government. Unfortunately, today's clergy do not seem to be in favor of even reading the Turkicized Qur'an.

If the translation of the Qur'an was published under Atatürk's directive and read as a Turkish text by our generations, who have lived fifty years since then, and if the necessary examinations and explanations were made by our scientists, the Turkish nation, respectful of free thought, in love with science and civilization, would never allow the chain of bigotry to resurrect. he wouldn't. This is how worship is done in all civilized states. The holy books are read in their own language and their content is fully understood. No one dwells on the necessity of establishing a sharia state. In secluded corners in villages, they do not establish student dormitories under the name of "pension", which aims for cult purposes, feeds the poor, trains young people conditioned according to their own ambitions, and focuses on worship, especially Arabic.

In Atatürk's time, religious Muslims would never compliment such works. They did not show any interest in such intricate and harmful attempts between religion and state affairs, and they only practiced their worship freely and as they wished, benefiting from the blessings of freedom of conscience.

Today, we are faced with a much more diverse and favorable environment. Even our illiterate people understand clearly and distinctly the scientific studies that radio and television have spread to the farthest corners. Almost everyone makes an account of their thoughts and conscience on the provisions that need to be examined, such as "flat earth and sky... the world created in seven days... all human beings were born from Adam and Eve... Jesus, who was born without a father and is considered the son of God", spread by the first religious books. . Recent developments in the positive sciences have now become the property of the public conscience, not just a certain literate stratum.

Thanks to the principle of secularism that Atatürk gifted us, our country has reached its current level and our people have been able to take their distinguished place among the people of civilized states. Women's Rights With the Civil Code adopted in 1926, legal equality between women and men was ensured, except for the issue of family headship. Equality of rights in the field of education was achieved in earlier times.

However, in terms of political rights, the situation was different and in favor of men. It should also be taken into account that all countries were in the same situation in those days. While a law aimed at determining the number of deputies per capita was being discussed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the ilmiye group got angry, roared, and even marched on a deputy who suggested that the female population be taken into account.

Atatürk appointed Afet Inan as a pioneer in the field of women's political rights, and the law giving women the right to vote and be elected in municipal elections in 1930, the law granting the right to elect and be elected to village councils of elders in 1933, and the law granting the right to elect and be elected to deputies in 1934. equality in the political field was completed in 1934.

Gaston Bout-houl, who examines women's rights that have developed and settled not only in our country but in every corner of the world under the title of "Feminist Doctrines", summarizes the situation as follows: A successful event that does not accept discussion among the political innovations of the last quarter century is the progress made by women in the political field. Although it is said that a "Mader-Shahi" lifestyle was practiced in the old days, the truth is that even in the most democratic and advanced states, women were always "subject, needy, second-class citizens".

Women's civil rights, their intellectual freedom, and finally political feminism took place during the first and second world wars. The developments regarding women have been much more surprising in eastern countries. The characteristics that distinguish the West and the East in this regard are that women have always been pushed into a tighter slavery. The situation of the “Oriental woman” everywhere, from Japan to China, India, Iran and all the way to the Mediterranean was as follows: She will live under the sheet, veil, behind the cage. It would be subject to the will of her father or husband, the husband could divorce her whenever he wanted, but she could do nothing, the husband would marry as many women as he wanted, but she would not make a sound and would give birth to countless children.

In the war of 1914, Turkey had lost everything it had from the vast Ottoman Empire. This final jolt he went through led to an extraordinary dodge. The tendencies that had hitherto been insignificantly diffused among the doctrinaires of Turkish liberalism, were determined and strongly expressed by Mustafa Kemal.

Undoubtedly, the most daring of the reforms that he imposed on his wife and the Turkish society with an energy that is rarely seen is the liberation of the Turkish woman. Moreover, the importance of such a revolution in a Muslim country is beyond measure.

It is certain that feminism has already produced some surprising results.

Letter Revolution and Education

Atatürk's leadership in education, training and letter reform is even more interesting to me. Now, let me briefly tell you the reality of the primary school of those days, which seemed like a fairy tale. Learning to read and write with the Arabic letters accepted by the Turks for a long time was a very difficult and time-consuming task. It was as if two different languages ​​had emerged between the ordinary citizen and the intellectual layer due to the large number of Arabic and Persian words that entered our language with the pretense of the palace and the elite group. The Ottoman Turkish of the poets and writers, the ruling class and the Turkish of the people were two extremely different languages. This meaningless duality was undoubtedly due to unsystematic education.

In the Ottoman period, education and training was carried out only in neighborhood schools in cities and towns or in primary schools and under the control of the madrasah. The first goal was to memorize the Qur'an and become a hafiz. It is necessary to think about the difficulty in memorizing the huge volume of the Qur'an, the meaning of which is not understood by little brains, and the weight of this behavior. But being a hafiz is the first step of becoming a clergyman, and once you become a clergyman, it has the advantage of wrapping up in your bandage and getting rid of military service. Since there were no queues in these schools, the carpets, rugs and blankets were laid on the ground. Most didn't even have blackboards. Everything was memorized as it came out of the teacher's mouth, and the children would repeat them in unison. The teacher would warn those who made mistakes by poking them with his long stick, and if not, he would bring them to the right path by hitting them. Like every child of my age, I went to such a school for the first time. The dreadful phallus hanging on the wall would have caught our attention. The Arabic letters written separately at the beginning, middle and end were so diverse that it was only possible to learn them in a few years.

Atatürk, like all our national problems, was very interested in this issue. Towards the end of 1928, he had Falih Rıflca Atay read a text written in our new letters in front of the public by mentioning Turkish letters in Istanbul Sarayburnu park.

Later, this initiative developed rapidly. Within three months, the letter revolution was carried out. As a person who finished his vocational education at the end of 1928 and knew Latin letters thanks to his foreign language learning, I also took part in the literacy campaign.

Contemporary Clothing Revolution

Atatürk started the clothing revolution in Kastamonu, greeted the people in Inebolu with his hat and said, "The name of this headdress is a hat". In his speech in Kastamonu, he described civilization as follows: “Civilization is such a strong fire that it burns and destroys those who are indifferent to it.”

He compared Islamic and Turan clothes with western and civilized clothes, and excited the people with his question-answer speech. In the meantime, pointing to a strangely dressed man from the audience, who has never been seen before, he said: “For example, in front of me in the crowd, a fez, a green turban on top of the fez, a jacket on his back, a jacket like the one on my back... I can't see the bottom. Now what is this dress?... Would a civilized person wear this odd dress and make the world laugh at himself...” he asked.

Atatürk was also very sensitive in women's clothing. He explained the need for a change with these words: “During my travels, I saw that our female friends were covering their faces and eyes very intensely and meticulously, especially in towns and cities, not in villages. Boyfriends, it's a bit of our selfishness. Dear friends, our women are also insightful and thinking people like us. There is no need for selfishness after it is based on the principle of inculcating sacred concepts of morality, explaining our national morality and equipping their minds with light and cleanliness. Let them show their faces to the world and see the world carefully with their eyes, there is nothing to be afraid of."

He gave the following example about women's clothing during his Kastamonu trip: “In some places, I see women who, by throwing a cloth or loincloth or something similar, hide their face and eyes and either turn their backs or sit on the ground against the men who pass by, the meaning and merit of this attitude. why? Gentlemen, would a civilized nation's mother, nation's daughter, enter this strange form, this savage state? This is a scene that makes the nation look ridiculous. It needs to be corrected immediately.”

Some of our female students and our sons who support them with their actions in the Quran courses, Imam Hatip schools and high schools, and even in faculties, which are constantly increasing in number, need to read these lines with an example, correct their situation and adapt to contemporary society.

I should also mention that religions have also taken a lot from each other. The word “Amen” that we use in our prayers comes from far away. The white cap that most of the men now wear in mosques is similar to the headdress of a Jewish priest. The tightly wrapped headscarf, which our girls and women adore, was handed down to us from the Orthodox. Rumelia immigrants protect this kind of veiling, which they have been accustomed to from the Greeks with whom they lived for a long time, as if it were a symbol of Islam. There are not a few such migrations among the Anatolian people. As Atatürk pointed out, such veiling is peculiar to cities.

Take a close look at how the nuns tie their black headscarves in the picture showing the visit of the Orthodox Patriarch in Iznik in the newspaper Milliyet, dated October 4, 1987. You will better grasp the grain of truth in my words.

Atatürk's revolutions, each of which is based on deep-rooted studies, are a whole, a series of revolutions that raised our country to the level of "contemporary civilization". Let's read the following statement of Atatürk in Kastamonu museum, who believes that these should be meticulously preserved:

“The aim of the revolutions we have made and are making is to send the people of the Republic of Turkey to the social level of the civilized delegation with all its modern meaning and description. This is the basic principle of our revolution. Until now, there have been those who have this mentality that has corroded and numbed the minds of our nation. In any case, the superstitions existing in the minds will be completely resolved. Unless they are removed, it is impossible to execute the lights of truth in the mind.

Benefiting from tombs, false saints, and the dead is for the civil society community*.

To summarize Atatürk's revolutions (Atatürk's revolutions), as Falih Rıfkı Atay has determined:

“By sweeping away the theocratic medieval state traditions in Turkey, it has freed women, conscience and contemplation. Nationalism has taken the place of ummahism. Agricultural and trade resources were appropriated to the nation. The national industry was born. National banks were established. Foreign and concessionary companies were nationalized. By changing the writing, language and clothing, the Turkish mind, Arab and Persian culture were freed from their slavery. Each of these revolutions is sufficient to make a citizen one of the greats of the national history...”

At the National Education Council convened on July 16, 1921, at the most critical moment of the war, Atatürk sought ways to advance on the path of science, science and civilization, to improve the education system, and listened to the views of our "army of wisdom" working in this field. It enacted the Organization Act.

“Atatürk is not one of those who force conditions that do not exist yet for nothing.” He was a leader with a strong will, strong character, and far-sighted, who saw the truth and expressed it as it was. The following speech that I read on the marble slab in the upper floor meeting hall of the Turkish Historical Society, which he helped to establish and whose work he gave enthusiasm and enthusiasm, is a maxim that addresses not only the members of the Institution, but all of us. “We should always be men who seek the truth and dare to express it as we find it and as long as we are convinced we have found it.” He made the dizzying revolutions to the public, to the people, and to the intimidation. Look at the photos of those days. More than half of the assembly is dominated by ilmiye class teachers. Atatürk has achieved everything by working with such an assembly.

“If Mustafa Kemal had found half the team of today's intellectuals and experts in 1923, Turkey would now be a fully-fledged western state and a fully-formed western community.”

At that time, we were advancing rapidly in every field, even though we did not have the means of the current generation.

Falih Rıfkı Atay concludes the following in the last chapters of his famous book Çankaya:

“Gazi is a creative source of energy... Isn't everything on earth other than black earth, green grass, stone and salt water, the work of such creators? ... The tree of humanity rots countless leaves for generations to give a Gazi berry... Gazi has started to create the New Turkey at the bottom of his own being since his childhood. As a revolutionary, Mustafa Kemal is an idealist who never showed any weakness from the age of 18 until his last breath. This side of him is unlike any of his contemporaries. The only shortcoming of Atatürk's revolution, which later appeared in the multi-party period, was that it was not fully digested by the masses of the revolutions and the new order through education.”

It must be admitted that the character and persuasiveness of Atatürk was well above the normal level. He always wanted to bring a job he started to the goal he wanted and would follow it to the end. “Atatürk has succeeded in every job he aimed, thanks to the warm and great aura of love he created around him, his authoritarian attitude, and his subtle tactics.” His greatness and the new visions he bestowed on the world of humanity are becoming more evident with each passing day.

On 10 November 1986 Ankara University commemoration ceremony, Dr. Robert P. Finn says:

“Atatürk is your hero and savior. Although he is a leader who saved the Turkish nation and founded the Republic of Turkey, the lessons he gave cover the whole world of humanity... These lessons, the Republic of Turkey he founded, has been and will continue to be an example for all of us...

Atatürk and his thoughts belong not only to Turkey and Turkish youth, but to the whole world. Atatürk's Turkey will be a model for the oppressed nations of the world. He was longing for the day when all the nations of our world would attain a social life befitting the ideal of humanity.”

Dear Listeners,

Atatürk created the strong, modern Turkish Republic from the wreckage of an empire. O Turkish youth! He entrusted us all with his speech. Let's know the importance and value of this relic. Let's protect our place in the ranks of modern civilization.

RESOURCES

1. Kemalism. YÖK Publication joint work, 1986.

2. Atatürk and Agriculture. Ankara Faculty of Agriculture Seminar Publication.

3. Atay, Falih Rıfkı. Çankaya (First edition).

4. Bouthoul, G. History of Political Doctrines, 1963.

5. Feyzioglu, Prof. Dr. Turhan. Ataturk Road, 1981.

6. Finn, Dr. Robert P. Ankara University Commemoration Ceremony, 1986.

7. Believe, Prof. Dr. Ayse Disaster. Memories from Atatürk, 1982.

8. Believe, An. Atatürk's Eskişehir-İzmit Speeches, 1982.

9. Kansu, Mazhar Müfit. Together with Atatürk, 1986.

10. Karal, Prof. Dr. Enver Zia. Ottoman History, Volume 5.

11. Atatürk's Speeches in Kastamonu Museum (from their plates).

12. Kocaturk, Prof. Dr. Thank you. Atatürk's Ideas and Thoughts, 1984.

13. Lewis, Bernard. The Birth of Modern Turkey, 1970.

14. Milliyet Newspaper (10 November 1987)

15. Tüfekçi, Gündüz. Atatürk's Thought Structure.

16. Tüfekçi, Gündüz. Atatürk's Books, 1983.

17. Anthology of Veterinary Poets, 1960.

NOTE: This conference was given on April 6, 1990 as part of the "Atatürk conferences" series organized by the Atatürk Research Center.

Kâmuran Ardıç