ATATÜRKIST THOUGHT SYSTEM

Towards the middle of the third millennium BC, the Turks appeared on the stage of history for the first time with a culture we call the Horse-Nomadic Steppe Culture in the area between the steppes of today's Kazakhstan and the Altai mountains. It is known that this community, which went through various cultural stages and spread to all Turkestan in time, was represented by an empire called Hiung-nu/Hun in history from the fourth century BC. Following this period, which lasted for about six hundred years, the Turkish nation established many more states in various regions, within different civilizational circles and under different names.

One of these, the Turkish Seljuk State, which was established in Anatolia, which was turned into a second homeland by the great Turkish masses who came from Turkistan from the beginning of the eleventh century, was destroyed by the Mongols when it was at the peak of its splendor. The small Ottoman Principality, which was established in 1299 by Kara Osman Bey, the son of Ertuğrul Gazi, one of the Turkish principalities that emerged as a result of this, has become a great empire in a very short time considering the life of a nation. The rapidly developing Ottoman state, in the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, provided the Turkish nation with its most advanced period in science, technique and civilization, and these centuries became Turkish centuries, as the Europeans said. But,

The collapse of the Ottoman state accelerated in the nineteenth century. The efforts made to stop this trend, in other words, the Ottoman innovation movements could not achieve the desired result, and after we were defeated in the First World War, the state came to the brink of collapse and the nation annihilated. At this stage, the Turkish nation, organized under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal and fighting with great devotion, will show that it is determined and determined to live as a dynamic society again with a brand new political organization it has built on the wreckage of its former state, following a unique war of independence that is not uncommon in the history of other communities.

Mustafa Kemal, who achieved this success that would set an example for many oppressed nations, not only saved the Turkish nation from an absolute extinction, but also paved the way for advancement with the reforms and principles he introduced, but also with an independent, free and dignified life that suited him well. The Supreme Leader, who commanded to "progress without hesitation" on this path and showed the young generations the forefront of the modern civilization level as their target, said that "science and science" to be achieved in these ranks, crowned the National Struggle with victory, regained his self-confidence and began to progress rapidly on the path of "becoming a strong nation". He believed that it would be a “reason for life and strength” for the people who started out. Here, based on the needs and realities of Turkish society, it is as much a guide to reach the level of contemporary civilization,

The foundations of the Kemalist Thought System will begin to develop in the thought of Mustafa Kemal as of 1907 and will be put into practice when he sets foot on the blessed Anatolian soil on May 19, 1919. In other words, Atatürk's thoughts were not born out of the terrible desperation of May 1919, as some people think. However, after this date, events will always be directed in the same direction, and it must be a feature of the staff, that the Great Leader should determine and determine with great success when, where and how, what he will implement and how he will evaluate, and when the time comes, he will not be ready for those who are not ready. Keeping it as a secret will bring success. This result is in accordance with the values ​​revealed by Turkish history and culture.

While leaving Istanbul, Mustafa Kemal, who envisaged "to establish a new independent Turkish state based on sovereignty", when he went to Samsun, the people who used their right of self-defense against those who were fighting the Greek and Armenian cause in the region, "united around the feeling of Turkishness, He saw that I was aiming for the finances” and he emphasized this in his first report, which he sent to the Istanbul government on May 22, 1919, three days later. With this determination, by emphasizing the concept of sovereignty, which was not very common at that time, the desire of the people to be transformed into a classless, groupless big family that determined its own destiny was also revealed. In other words, it was revealed that the national unity, which is of great importance in the struggle to be fought, should become evident as a natural result of the will of the nation and the understanding of full independence, and that this should constitute the reason for the existence of the state being established in the future. As a matter of fact, in the political program that was announced in preparation for the party that was planned to be established in 1922;

“Dominion belongs to the nation.”

“No other authority other than the Parliament can be effective in the future of the nation.” “We act within the principles of national sovereignty in all laws, organization, administration, education and economy.”

It was expressed as Indeed, the state of having a "national integrity", which is indispensable with the "national state" qualification, seems to be one of the most fundamental characteristics of the Republic of Turkey since its foundation. At the same time, this issue is important in that it shows how a mass of fragmented ideas are transformed into principles that form a whole while establishing a new state that will live forever. At this point, the Kemalist Thought System manifests itself as a return to essence in the form of fulfilling an advice filtered from history through centuries.

Whether the Kemalist Thought System, which is also known as Kemalism or Kemalism, is an ideology or not has been discussed by many scholars and intellectuals, and it is still being debated. However, Atatürk himself said to Y. Kadri Karaosmanoğlu that this way of thinking had nothing to do with any doctrine, “if we adhere to a doctrine, son, we will freeze the revolution.” revealed in his words. Despite this, the occasional mention of Atatürk's ideology, fascism, socialism, Marxism, etc. It is necessary to think together with other ideologies such as, and to attribute them to the difficulty in naming the established order, rather than counting them as one. Only those who consider Kemalism as a synthesis of all ideologies in the broadest sense and understand it as the only way of life for a society, even for all humanity,

It is constantly being asked whether the Kemalist Thought System is at a level to serve other nations besides Turkish society, in other words whether this system of thought has a universal value. Although this system is interpreted and evaluated in different ways from time to time by different circles depending on various purposes and interests, it is accepted by everyone that it does not have an element such as the export of revolution or colonialism hidden in the above questions. In fact, the tendency to underestimate the national character of the system is clearly observed in these questions.

The Kemalist Thought System is the only system of thought among contemporary thought systems that does not have a colonial character or does not have views that will ultimately reveal colonialism. Therefore, it is far from the dangers of avoiding accepting certain facts, tending to negative attitudes and initiatives, preventing future breakthroughs and not being able to keep up with attempts in this way, in an effort to stay within certain patterns seen in ideologies that are not preached as an ideology. In fact, as a result of our history and as a continuation of the intellectual power of the Turkish Revolution, it has a feature that can respond to the changing and developing needs of the society and the changing conditions of Turkey with the opportunity to renew itself continuously in a national, rational and contemporary way.

Therefore, this system is basically based on two main principles. These;

“To establish a social order based on the life of the nation”

“To turn to civilization with contemporary thought, that is, to accept positive sciences as the only guide.”

The Supreme Leader reveals this situation in the last pages of the Speech with the words: "Sirs, with this statement, I have tried to express how a great nation whose national life is assumed to have come to an end gained its independence and how a national and modern state based on the latest principles of science and science was established". In addition, ideas such as "valuing people and humanity", which are among the principles that fully comprehend human and society, carry it to a universal dimension and make it a system that many societies take as an example and are influenced by. However, when evaluating its universal qualities, it should not be overlooked that it is not possible to create a single world nation or state in line with this system.

Another point that should be emphasized at this point is that the "West" is wanted to be shown as a goal in the Kemalist Thought System. However, in this system, the "West" was not chosen as an absolute target. In other words, principles such as blind imitation and alienation from the national self in order to reach the civilization it represents are not included in this system of thought, which would necessitate leaving the character of Turkish history and culture aside. In fact, it is not possible to achieve this, and even trying something on this path can give very bad results. As the principle of nationalism would prevent this, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's American journalist Miss. The words he said to the Ring and especially his emphasizing that what he did was a return to the essence does not allow this. Moreover, the target shown is not the "West",

It is known that some of today's practices, meanwhile, as a requirement of modernization, some values ​​taken from the "West" bring along some issues. Apart from this, selfishness, selfishness, materialism, etc., which lie on the basis of Western culture. The conflict of some elements such as Turkish cultural values ​​with Turkish cultural values ​​also increases these issues. The point that draws attention here is the exaggeration of the values ​​taken from the west or the west itself by some circles. It is clear that this situation will bring about alienation from our own self. It is a fact that the corruption that has started especially among our intellectuals has affected innovation and development negatively. Of course, at this point, the abusive attitude of the West and my insistence on continuing it should not be ignored. That's why people who see the Kemalist Thought System as a blind attachment or imitating someone, either don't believe in this system or haven't been able to understand it in its true aspects. In both cases, it is obvious that they abused Atatürk. This must be prevented. In other words, it must be remembered that Atatürk was not a westerner, but a contemporary civilizationist. Contemporary civilization is in the West today, tomorrow it becomes active in another place, then it will be exploited.

The Kemalist Thought System, as the rules of living in accordance with the traditions of the Turkish society, is not only the set of principles arising from the needs of this society, but also the expression of a basic order unique to it, and has a national, democratic and rational identity. For this reason, historical events, our culture and civilization and the character of our society should be taken into account in the interpretation of the principles that make up this system. In fact, Atatürk reveals the basis of his thoughts with the words “The homeland we live in, the Turkish nation we live in, the Turkish nation we live in, and the conclusions we draw from the leaves of the history of a nation that have recorded a thousand and one disasters and suffering”. This determination is completely in line with historical facts and is one of the issues that should always be considered in order to learn the best of Atatürk's life and actions. Therefore,

The text, which was explained as the program of a basic order aiming to glorify the Turkish nation and to keep the Republic of Turkey alive forever, consisted of eight chapters with an introduction. In the introduction, it was explained that this text was not written by sitting at the desk any day, and that the principles tried for many years were arranged and outlined in such a way as to dominate not only a few years but also the future. In the second part of this program, the basic political principles that we will examine below are discussed and evaluated and presented as important principles to be believed and learned for the generations of the republic. These basic principles, which were adopted and accepted exactly at the 4th congress of the Republican People's Party in 1935, were changed in the 1924 constitution on February 5, 1937. In its article, as the characteristics of the State of the Republic of Turkey, "The State of Turkey is Republican, Nationalist, Populist, Secular, Statist and Revolutionary". These principles, which have been tried to be evaluated in terms of their general nature from the beginning;

Republicanism: the people; It is a form of state in which the dominion is exercised directly or through elected representatives. From this definition, it is understood that the sovereignty belongs to the nation unconditionally, that is, a form of administration in which the will of the nation prevails in the state administration. Atatürk stated this situation, “Our government today is a state organization and government that the nation made directly by itself, its name is the republic.” explains in words. Here, it is essential that the state implements democratic principles, that is, that all members of the nation, who have reached a certain age, choose their rulers from among themselves, without being subject to any conditions or conditions. Election element, totalitarian, oligarchic, democratic etc. of republican administrations. It is the only criterion that determines its quality as such. For this reason, the source of power is very important in republican administrations. For the Republic of Turkey, Atatürk said, “Sovereignty belongs to the nation unconditionally. Gathering dominion under the responsibility of the nation means not giving a single speck of it to any person or office, regardless of their name or class. Here, the main pillar of the administration is the Turkish nation itself.

The reason why Atatürk adopted the tried and strongest form of government of our age with his desire to turn to modern thought and civilization and entrusted it to future generations as a principle, is the reason why he saw the republic as the most worthy form of administration in its historical development and regarded as the main element of the Turkish revolution, the new Turkish Republic. It stems from the fact that it accepts the foundation of the state and regards it as a state and a form of government that also represents the values ​​of the revolution. In addition, interesting values ​​are reached when the concept of republic is considered within the development of Turkish history. Atatürk points to these values ​​when he says that "the foundation of the Turkish Republic is Turkish heroism and high Turkish culture". As a result, this principle has been included in the constitutions of our state since 1924, as a form of administration that cannot even be proposed to be changed.

nationalism ;  This concept, which emerged as a natural feeling with the life of the nation, expresses the attachment of the person to the nation with the desire of love and respect, and the continuity of the values ​​that make up that nation by keeping it alive and developed. Nationalism, which is generally accepted as a political movement after the French Revolution, is, in a way, the application of the "concept of personal freedom" to nations. In other words, just as a human being should have some basic rights and freedoms, a nation as a whole should have freedom, sovereignty, etc. should have some fundamental rights, such as

As the nationalist movements gained great success towards the end of the nineteenth century, they continue today and give our age the identity of a century of struggle of nations. However, in some of these struggles, the reasons changed in one way or another, while the form of the struggle was shifted to other fields. For example, war has left its place to cultural supremacy, and the desire for political rights and freedom has been replaced by the desire to resist and struggle against the economic pressures of developed states. It is possible to reproduce them. In addition, nationalism in societies manifests itself as a conscious state policy based on raw emotion, colonialist or lofty values. That's why sometimes nationalism, to increase the morale of the community, to help individuals to the good, beautiful, It is not possible to fulfill national functions by directing them to the right and ensuring the cultivation and enrichment of cultures, and it is not possible to fulfill their human functions by educating separate nations with these human feelings and raising world civilization. In fact, the destructive and abusive attitude of some nations in order to realize their national goals, that is, the fact that they give the idea of ​​nationalism an aggressive character, causes this noble feeling to be based on hatred and hatred in some communities. This situation shows that the feeling of nationalism does not manifest normally in every nation. The destructive and abusive attitude of some nations in order to realize their own national goals, that is, the fact that they give an offensive character to the idea of ​​nationalism, causes this noble feeling to be based on hatred and hatred in some communities. This situation shows that the feeling of nationalism does not manifest normally in every nation. The destructive and abusive attitude of some nations in order to realize their own national goals, that is, the fact that they give an offensive character to the idea of ​​nationalism, causes this noble feeling to be based on hatred and hatred in some communities. This situation shows that the feeling of nationalism does not manifest normally in every nation.

On the subject of nationalism, Turks, as a free and independent nation throughout history, have not had such problems or complexes. Since the Turkish nation does not compliment opportunism and exploitation, but has reached the consistency of a real nation by kneading it in the various events of its thousands of years of past, the ideas of nationalism are suitable for this historical formation, have a quality that is filtered from the spirituality of a strong character and a dominant nation, that is, they are a humane and respectful to rights. manifested itself. In fact, both sociologically and politically, for the first time in history, the phenomenon of nationalism seen in the Turks, as it took place in the speech of the Great Hun Emperor Çi-çi Kağan (died 36 BC), continued in the same way as it emerged at that time. Otherwise, it is not possible to explain the existence of today's Balkan states,

In order to fully evaluate the principle of nationalism, nation, people, nation, tribe, race, lineage, ummah, etc. It is necessary to understand such concepts correctly and in accordance with their historical development. For example, the important movements of Atatürk since the beginning of the National Struggle, "National independence, national will, national congress, national sovereignty, national forces, national movements, national anthem, national unity, national assembly, national struggle, national defense... etc." The term "national" is always related to the historical development of the concept of nation. Therefore, while explaining Atatürk's understanding of nationalism, it is necessary to consider his definition of nation suitable for Turks.

Atatürk understands nationalism as uniting the Turkish community around Turkish, Turkish culture and the ideal of Turkishness and making it a political and social whole. The language, namely Turkish, has an important place in the old Turkish states. Atatürk also attaches great importance to language and considers the Turkish language "a sacred treasure for the Turkish nationality" as well as "the heart and mind of the Turkish nation." For this reason, "it should be known for sure that the national language and national identity of the Turkish nation will remain dominant and essential throughout its life".

"The basis of our nationalism will be possible with the preservation of language unity," said Atatürk, "The language of the Turkish nation is Turkish. Turkish language is the most beautiful, richest and easiest language in the world. he couldn't help himself from saying it.

The second issue Atatürk emphasized is Turkish Culture. Turkish culture; An issue that needs to be well known and taught in order to strengthen the feeling of Turkishness and to unite the nation around the love and ideals of Turkishness, has also been preached as the continuation of our republic. “The foundation of the republic is Turkish society. The more the members of this society become involved with Turkish culture, the stronger the republic based on that society will be.” These are the points that are meant when we say that “National unity, national feeling, national culture are among the ideals we look forward to in the will and protection of the Turkish nation”. Atatürk, as a statesman who saw that the science of history has an important place in the acquisition of Turkish culture and directly benefited from history, He believed that the long history of the Turkish nation would be a source of inspiration for future generations. For this reason, he stated that national feelings will be fed from history and showed historiography as the basis of the principle of nationalism.

The third point that Atatürk emphasized is the ideal, that is, the unity of ideals, which is meant to recognize the Turkish nation, to know its values, to be proud of it, to exalt its existence and values ​​even more, and to transfer them to future generations. The feeling of Turkishness, this point, which we have determined as the ideal of Turkishness, was again expressed in the words of Atatürk in the best way. In fact, Atatürk was a person who was proud of his Turkishness and believed in the noble essence of the existence of his nation, and this belief had a great share in his success. He was making Turkish nationalism the basis of the National Struggle when he said in the report he wrote three days after he landed in Samsun that "the nation united and aimed at the principle of domination and the feeling of Turkishness".

According to Atatürk, the feeling of Turkishness is also a reaction to the ideology that destroyed the Ottoman state and is a manifestation of a realistic approach. “We are Turks, we are Turks in the full sense of the word. That's it. It is enough for us to be a good Muslim. Our law is the same for Asia and for Europe. To have friends, to preserve our definition of independence, to consider everything from the Turkish side. This is a realistic view. It is a reaction to the ideology that destroyed the Ottoman empire.” also before the proclamation of the republic. He also points out that nationalism was not given importance, especially in the last days of the Ottoman state. It indicates that we pay the penalty for our neglect of our nationality and forgetting ourselves very heavily when we are weak. If we want the world to respect us today,

Turkishness is essential for Atatürk's nationalism. This much; “My only honor in life, my wealth is nothing but Turkishness.” “If there is anything extraordinary in my creation, it is that I was born a Turk.” “The Turk was created to achieve tough jobs.” “Turkish Meal, Work, Trust” etc. He showed it in many words. As can be understood from this, Atatürk has great trust, respect and love for the Turkish nation. At this point, it is necessary to reveal what he understands from Turks and the Turkish nation.

“The Turkish hand is great and only it is great on earth. It is the Turk who fills every place and the face of the Turk who illuminates every place.”

“The sons of one race, from Diyarbekir, Van, Erzurum, Trabzon, Istanbul, Thrace and Macedonia, are always of the same ore.

Let these veins know each other. When this is what I say happens, another realm will be seen and this realm will amaze the world. The existence of the Turk will open new horizons for this old world. Atatürk said, "What does the sun mean, what does the horizon mean, then it will be seen", and also, with the words "The people of Turkey, who founded the Turkish Republic, are called the Turkish nation", he used the phrase "The people of Turkey are united in their nationality, religion and harmony, and are famous for their sense of self-sacrifice and respect for one another. and it is a committee of common destinies and benefits”. Therefore, the term "peoples of Turkey", which some insist on today, should be seen as an expression of the wish to divide and disintegrate the Republic of Turkey, far from the truth, intentionally. Atatürk has always been won at the expense of the life and blood of the Turkish nation, The Turkish homeland within the borders drawn with the National Pact is based on Turkey and the nation living on it. However, with this attitude, he did not deny the existence of foreign Turks. As he pointed out to them in many of his words, he was closely interested in the issues of foreign Turks in his own time. His words, “There are Turkish communities, apart from our political existence, that have voluntarily or unintentionally united destiny with other political groups, and have a similarity with us by language, race, origin, and even near-distant histories and morals.” Based on humane feelings, Atatürk's only goal in this regard is to ensure that the Turks living in the lost lands are treated fairly and honestly. As he pointed out to them in many of his words, he was closely interested in the issues of foreign Turks in his own time. His words, “There are Turkish communities, apart from our political existence, that have voluntarily or unwillingly united destiny with other political groups, and have a close relationship with us in terms of language, race, origin, and even near-distant history and morality” indicates this. Based on humane feelings, Atatürk's only goal in this matter is to ensure that the Turks living in the lost lands are treated fairly and honestly. As he pointed out to them in many of his words, he was closely interested in the issues of foreign Turks in his own time. His words, “There are Turkish communities, apart from our political existence, that have voluntarily or unintentionally united destiny with other political groups, and have a similarity with us by language, race, origin, and even near-distant histories and morals.” Based on humane feelings, Atatürk's only goal in this regard is to ensure that the Turks living in the lost lands are treated fairly and honestly. There are Turkish communities that have a unity of origin and even close histories and morals”. Based on humane feelings, Atatürk's only goal in this regard is to ensure that the Turks living in the lost lands are treated fairly and honestly. There are Turkish communities that have a unity of origin and even close histories and morals”. Based on humane feelings, Atatürk's only goal in this regard is to ensure that the Turks living in the lost lands are treated fairly and honestly.

Populism:  It is the natural result of Atatürk's principles of nationalism and republicanism. In fact, the characteristics of our republic also reveal its populist side. Because the power of thought of this principle is based on the consciousness of "national domination, domination of the nation", which is the basis of modern democracies. Therefore, the principle of populism is not only closely linked to Atatürk's definition of nation and the national self-consciousness that followed it, but also forms the basis of his understanding of democracy.

In the times when the Ottoman state was on the verge of collapse, our intellectuals were alienated from the people, while the people were thought of as an ignorant herd, they were called vulgar, mountainous, provincial, etc. degrading meanings such as The fact that the administration was in the hands of a certain group ensured the continuation of this situation. Freedom, equality, justice, etc. It is noteworthy that notions such as What distinguishes Atatürk from these is that he did not pursue concepts that are unclear for whom or what he was wanted for. Based on the equality that Turkish customs attribute to the life of the nation, he said, “You can be sure that the only nation born to be democratic in spirit among the nations that have lived and are living in the world is the Turks. There has never been an impenetrable class nobility and mentality in our society for a long time.” He identifies the characteristics of his nation very well and puts it into practice again by appropriating it in his life. Communities connected to a certain element such as village, city, household, but mostly to spatial elements, and a community of people who lived in a country at a certain time and knew that country as their homeland, who attached their destiny to that country, or could not reach the level of nation, but established their state, and some societies in the past. From time to time, the concept of the people, which expresses any part of a certain nation, was used very close to the concept of nation in Atatürk's statements, and sometimes instead of it.

Atatürk put the populist practice into effect at the very beginning of the national struggle, and in 1920 he distinguished himself from similar practices in other nations: and we didn't try. According to our creed, the life and training of our nation is the point-i-nazar, which is in accordance with its own talents. However, if it is examined essentially, our point of view is that of populism. It is the direct transfer of power, power, dominance, and administration to the people, holding them in the hands of the people. Again, he stated that the opening of the Grand National Assembly was based on the general will and inclination of the people, "The nature of our existence today,

The principle of populism, which was also included in the 1920 constitution, was defined as "our slogan in our internal politics" and "to make the nation dominate its own destiny". This description is the expression of populism, the administration of the people by the people for the people. As it is understood from Atatürk's words and practices, this administration is the government that can best respond to the interests of the nation and serves with the contribution of the nation. For this reason, the principle of populism is also an expression of Atatürk's views on democracy. While his words "Our form of government is a fully democratic government and in our language this government is called the people's government" reveals this, he also explained that another definition of democracy or populism and why he needed it, "In governments based on democracy, sovereignty is the people, the people's government". belongs to the majority. The principle of democracy is that the dominance is in the nation, He insists that he cannot be anywhere else. In this way, the principle of democracy touches on the origin and legitimacy of political power and domination. We, the people of the country, consider the help of the people and members of various groups to one another with the same value and nature. We would like to try to ensure the interests of all of them in the same degree and with the same sense of permissiveness. We are of the opinion that this style is more suitable for the general welfare of the nation and the structure of the state.

As it can be understood from all these expressions, the principle of Populism is aimed at not creating and not recognizing a privileged class in Turkish society, keeping the members respectful to each other and having equal rights, and thus turning the Turkish nation into a "unprivileged-classless fused mass". In line with this principle, the public means everyone, and it is essential that all citizens have the same rights and be treated equally before the law, regardless of language, religion, profession, color or gender. Therefore, with the principle of populism, social justice and social order, mutual aid and solidarity are accepted instead of class struggles, and instead of creating a class morality, it is always aimed to go to the people and raise it on the basis of national morality.

Secularism;  It is a principle that has been put forward in order to bring the newly established Republic of Turkey, which was realized gradually in the Turkish revolution, to a civilized state. As it is known, secularism was realized by breaking the pressure of the church and clergy on the people after the French Revolution in 1789, on the ideas brought by the enlightenment with an interim regime where absolute monarchies were established and the disintegration of empires from the darkness of the Middle Ages. In Islam, there is no such class, and there is no compulsion in religion. The understanding and practice of religion in the pre-Islamic Turkish states are also different.

In the last days of the Ottoman state, especially those who used religion for their own interests, and even political and Dürrizade Abdullah Fatwa, Caliphate army, etc. to destroy him, Atatürk and his friends. There were those who wanted to use it as a tactic in a way that would benefit more enemies. Thereupon, the law of treason enacted by the Grand National Assembly on April 29, 1920 in order to prevent the use of religion for political purposes would also constitute the beginning of the subsequent secularism practice. However, the foundation of secular thought in Turkish society dates back to the very old times of its history. After revealing this situation and explaining the word in question, it would be more appropriate to move on to examine Atatürk's principle of secularism.

Although the state had a religion in the Huns and Göktürks, who were among the pre-Islamic Turkish states, and the ruler was also the greatest religious leader, the Sogdian, Chinese, Alan tribes, Mongols etc. It is known that other religions belonging to other communities such as other communities have continued their existence in a way that will not cause any conflict and have left facilities that have survived to the present day. This situation continued after the Turks accepted Islam. As it is understood from the words "Bumin and Istemi Khans sat on the throne when the sky above and the rainy ground were created between the two of them, I will be the son of a person between the two," as it is understood from the words of Bengütaş, in the universe consisting of sky, earth and humans, the human species is one and there is a separation of race, language and religion. is not. In this case, the person who is a khan does not have the authority to make such distinctions and is obliged to manage them equally as per the tradition. This situation will also form the basis of Turkish nationalism and populism.

In the Ottomans, the state and religion helped each other as much as possible, and it was not thought of one to interfere with the other. It is wrong to portray this state as a theocratic state. In the Ottoman Empire, the field that customary law and secular institutions ruled without the need to become shari'ah, even in form, was much wider than many thought. The legal arrangements made by Fatih and Kanuni and the fact that the ruler, who is also the greatest religious leader, received a fatwa from a sheikh al-Islam or ulema, who was at the level of an official, is evidence of this. However, this field has narrowed over time, especially after the eighteenth century, in favor of shari'a law.

With the collapse of the state, especially during periods of increased rebellion and turmoil, the influence of the ilmiye class, meanwhile the sheikh al-Islam, on the state administration began to increase clearly. In one place, this situation was due to the fact that the members of the madrasah left learning and science aside and entered into daily administrative and political life, and thus ignorance prevailed in a short time. So much so that in this period, positive sciences were expelled from madrasahs and the Ottoman state was deprived of science and related developments at a time when it needed it most. In the following periods, the failure of strong administrators or the prevention or ineffectiveness of the desired innovations made corruption permanent. All in all, During the National Struggle, the efforts of some officials from the ilmiye class to prevent the Turkish Independence movement, to work almost like the fifth column of the enemy, even to declare the Greek army as the caliphate army and to use religion as the only weapon in all these activities required the separation of religion and state affairs. While separating religion and state affairs, as in the others, Atatürk resolved the issue by taking into account the flow of Turkish history. Therefore, first of all, it tended to eliminate the institutions that would not be compatible with the principle of secularism and that could hinder this understanding in practice.

Before moving on to Atatürk's understanding of secularism, it is necessary to dwell a little on this word. The word secular comes from the French word laic, laigue, which derives from the Greek laikos and the Latin /aicus. It is not a word that was used for the first time in Turkey with Atatürk. The same word was used in the constitutional years and entered our language in the meanings of "non-spiritual person, non-religious thing, idea, institution, la religion". However, these expressions reveal only the dictionary meanings of the word. The meaning he expresses in the Turkish revolution is to deal with world affairs separately from religious affairs and religious authority.

In Atatürk's understanding, secularism means leaving religion to the conscience of individuals, the state remaining impartial in the realization of freedom of conscience, while political affairs are carried out by the state without the influence of religion. In other words, secularism is the separation of the state from between God and the servant, the non-interference of religion in state affairs, that is, the separation of the jurisdictions of reason and faith. From this point of view, in secular administrations, the state does not interfere with consciences and do not put pressure on them. Everyone's belief, way of thinking and worship is respected and it is accepted that the citizen is free in his religious belief and worship. Atatürk stated this situation, “Every individual has the right and freedom to think what he wants, to believe what he wants, to have a political thought of his own, to do or not to do the necessities of a religion he belongs to. No one's thoughts and conscience can be dominated". However, it is essential that the actions of the citizens are not of a nature to disturb the state order.

Atatürk, who has a wide knowledge of religion and also knows the principles and intricacies of the religion of Islam, said, “The Turkish nation should be more religious. I mean, it should be religious in all its simplicity. I believe in my religion as I believe in the truth itself. Islam does not contain anything that contradicts reason and prevents progress…” “Our religion is the most reasonable and natural one. But it is because of this that it became the last religion.” With the words "Which thing is suitable for reason, logic and the benefit of society, know that it is also suitable for our religion", he reveals in the best way that there is no room for reactionary and conservatism in the understanding of Islam. In fact, Atatürk has many more words about the religion and virtues of Islam, and it is not possible to give them all here. In addition, his thoughts are in complete harmony with his actions. However, some circles claim that Atatürk's interest in Islam decreased after the proclamation of the republic and the acceptance of secularism, while others claim that Atatürk's secularism "aimed to realize a modern religious way of thinking for Turkish-Islam", which is to agree with both views. It is not possible. The point of those who misjudge Atatürk and pretend he is against religion is that they assume that he is dealing with religion and religious institutions in his struggle to raise Turkish society to the level of contemporary civilization. In fact, Atatürk knows that the Islamic civilization and the religion of Islam are different things for the Republic of Turkey. For this reason, “After the rejection of the Ottoman state, a Turkish State was formed. This state is independent and Muslim”,

One of the things Atatürk strongly opposes is the activities carried out in the name of religion by ignorant people who do not understand the great spirit of Islam or who have gained the position of clergy without being able to understand it. “You know that the villains who led us to the wrong path, mostly dressed in the veil of religion, have always come to our pure and decent people for their dues with the words of sharia. Read and listen to our history. You will see that the evils that destroy, enslave and devastate the nation have always come from blasphemy and malice under the guise of religion. They mixed all kinds of movements with religion. However, alhamdulillah, we are all Muslims, we are all religious," and some people, whose attitudes he considered as blasphemy and malice, have been around for a few centuries. They were in the position of incompetent and incompetent religious leaders who tried to represent Islam even though they had no rights. Today, there are those who consider religious education, especially the execution of the worship and services of the religion of Islam by the state, against secularism. In fact, in many secular states, the state does not interfere in religious affairs, nor in religious education. All religious affairs are carried out by societies established separately from the state. Each state regulates religious education according to its own conditions as a necessity of the understanding of secularism. As a matter of fact, in many secular countries in Europe, religion classes are given in public schools and in cooperation with the church. Moreover, in communities like ours where religious associations are banned, it is quite natural that such a gap should be filled by the state. Thus, religion

Another issue that is much discussed in relation to secularism is the issue of veiling. Atatürk said, “The hijab recommended by our religion is suitable for both life and virtue. If our women were to wear hijab in accordance with the advice of the Shari'a and the order of religion, they would neither close nor open as much. The hijab is in such a simple form that it will not be a mucib-i muskilât for women, and it will not prevent women from working with men in social life, economic life, life-i maisha and life-i science. This form is not contrary to the morals and manners of our simple social committee.” “If our women are among us, dressed in a dress commanded by the Shari'a, with the attitude required by virtue, and participate in the science and art movements of the nation,

Despite everything, one of the most talked about and debated issues in our country is undoubtedly secularism, since its necessity has not been adequately explained to the nation. A point that is partially seen in Atatürk's other principles, namely that everyone tries to understand these principles in a way that suits their own interests and aspirations, becomes more evident especially in the principle of secularism. It is possible to gather those who have this kind of mentality, the majority of which are intentional, in two groups as those who are against religion for whatever reason and those who take advantage of the sacred religious feelings. The point where both groups converge is the point that Atatürk had pointed out long ago with the words “There should be no opportunity for conspirators who try to deduce the meaning of irreligiousness from the term secular government”. Unfortunately, conspiracy connoisseurs who consider secularism as irreligious can still be effective today.

It is clear that Atatürk understood secularism and religion. He showed his attitude on this issue very well both in his actions and in his words. His “is a matter of religion and conscience. With the definition of secularism as “Everyone is free to obey the orders of his conscience”, “We respect religion. We are not opposed to thinking and thinking - We just try not to mix religious affairs with state and nation affairs - We avoid fanatic acts based on caste and deed” are very important words. In fact, Mustafa Kemal was aware of the fact that the Turkish nation, which embraced Islam, the last true religion, with great enthusiasm, did not want to mix their religion, to which they were attached with lofty and holy feelings, into the simple matters of daily life, and that he had shown this many times in history, and acted accordingly.

Etatism:  At first glance, statism, which appears as an economic concept, is not only a political practice in this field, but also a political practice that shows the characteristics of social and cultural development in accordance with Turkish history. With this application, Atatürk has drawn the path to be followed in order to strengthen the republican administration, to develop the nation in a short time and to raise it to the level of contemporary civilization. In this way, the importance of the link between economic development and social and cultural development, which is powered by it, is revealed.

In the Ottoman state, which became the market of some European states because it could not keep up with the developments that emerged with the industrial revolution, there was no trained manpower as well as knowledge and capital power. In addition, while the productive population was melting on the fronts, epidemics devastated the people. Under these conditions, it was deemed necessary to implement the principle of statism based on the principle of “national economy” in Turkey, which has the appearance of a colonial-type underdeveloped country. Thus, the issue of turning our country into a strong and modern state by utilizing national resources in order to avoid being a market for others and to avoid new capitulation systems was considered as a vital issue.

According to Atatürk, “no matter how great the political and military victories are, if they are not embellished and strengthened by economic victories, it is impossible for victories to survive and stand. For this reason, "an economically weak nation cannot get rid of poverty and misery, cannot attain a strong civilization, prosperity and happiness, cannot escape from social and political disasters." Because “all the successes, victories or defeats that fill our history are closely related to our economic situation. In order to bring our new Turkey to the civilized level it deserves, we have to give priority to our economy without wasting time.” For him, the principle of statism manifested itself most clearly in the economic field.

In the statism practice envisaged by Atatürk, “the basis of independence is economics.” Therefore, "national dominance should be reinforced by economic dominance." While doing this, it is essential not to deviate from democratic practices in any way. Therefore, in the economic field, the state is responsible for doing things that individuals cannot achieve in a planned manner. While the state assumes the leading role, it recognizes private property, private enterprise and work, and assigns itself a certain regulatory role. Atatürk stated this point, “The statism that we follow is based on individual work and activity, but in the shortest possible time, the state is actively involved in the affairs required by the general and high interests of the nation - especially in the economic field - in order to bring the nation to prosperity and prosperity.” expresses it in words.

Revolutionism;  Ataturk; The aim of the Turkish revolution, which he defines as "to demolish the institutions that have left the Turkish nation behind in the last centuries, and to replace them with new institutions that will ensure the progress of the nation in accordance with the highest civil requirements", also stated that "the aim of the revolutions that we have made and are making is to bring the people of the Turkish Republic completely modern and with all their meanings and forms". is to be a civilized committee of society. This is the basic principle of our revolutions”.

In Atatürk's understanding of revolution, it was also deemed necessary to establish new institutions that would ensure the progress of the nation according to the highest civil needs, and to create conditions that would not only improve defense but also keep them in line with the necessities of the age. At this point, the principle of revolutionism emerges as a general and main principle that provides opportunities for new progress and developments with a founding and constructive mentality, and even includes other principles, by meeting the needs that arise in the ever-changing social life. In addition, to the innovations of science and civilization, by preventing the quality of the Turkish revolution, which we interpret as a return to nation and nationality, and orientation to contemporary thought and civilization, from being stuck between solid, static and unchanging patterns,

Atatürk, who said, "The success on the way of civilization depends on innovation", kept the order he established with the Turkish revolution open to change, as required by the conditions and continuously. “These principles we have set are those we find useful for the development of our nation on the path of civilization, according to the necessities of today. However, the social body is in a situation that is always developing and it is imperative to turn to evolution, science and technology are always open to innovations and inventions, and in the face of this situation, the wishes and needs of people develop in an ever-increasing manner in both material and spiritual fields.

No principle can preserve its dogmatic structure in the course of history. For this reason, the Turkish nation has to fulfill the requirements of the civilization level of the age in which it lives.

As long as it adheres to this revolutionary principle, the Turkish community will find a way not to fall behind in the civilizational realm. However, the point to be considered in this is the preservation of our national integrity and national interests with the most meticulous care.” However, for a newly established and developing state, commitment to continuous innovation and making it a principle is an important issue. As it is known, cultures have a dynamic structure. However, since the studies in the field of cultural anthropology and ethnology in Atatürk's time did not progress, it was not possible for them to identify this situation and to demonstrate that "new needs will bring a new order to the society, and for this, it is necessary to meet the needs of the society by setting rules and establishing order in line with historical and social developments. After it was determined and made a principle by Atatürk, revolutionism, cultural anthropology or ethnology started to be used together with "a process of cultural change". However, this issue should not be confused with the constant revolutionism that finds application in some countries, especially Latin American countries.

Atatürk ensured that the values ​​revealed by the Turkish revolution were considered as a level and a means to reach the level of contemporary civilization, and thus the society attained a structure that could progress continuously without being overwhelmed and turmoil. The point that he takes into consideration here is that the Turkish nation, which has found the way not to fall behind in the world of civilization, must preserve its national integrity and national interests with the most meticulous manner.

As it has been tried to be explained from the beginning, the Kemalist Thought System is not a search for an identity, but an expression of the re-registration of an existing identity, that is, the “re-Turkification of the Turk” with the identification of a foreigner. And yet, one of the biggest issues at the moment is the abuse of Atatürk and his ideas at every level. At this point, Atatürk's incompetent politician, incompetent bureaucrat, thief businessman, corrupt intellectual, ambitious civil servant with expectations far above his abilities, etc. It should not be allowed to become a concept that people like him hide behind. Also, his thoughts should be freed from being discussed only when we need them and when it suits us. In other words, the elements of the state, which are included in our constitution, These considerations, which have been evaluated as the characteristics of the state and some of which are still the basis of state policies, should be implemented without compromise and erosion. Then there will be no unsolvable problem in Turkey.

Atatürk also has principles that fully comprehend people and society. Of these,

The guidance of knowledge and reason,

Tolerance with respect for people and human dignity,

Peace at home and in the world,

The idea of ​​freedom and independence stemming from our history,

Modernizing the society and glorifying it in all respects,

Respect for the unique realities of our country and our people,

important principles such as state and society have been largely attributed to the life of the state and important steps have been taken to reach the forefront of the level of contemporary civilization. However, the point that should be emphasized here is that the level of modern civilization that is desired to be reached, that is, the target is in motion and changing. In other words, the level of modern civilization is not fixed at one point, but is in a state of continuous development. Also, reaching that level doesn't necessarily mean catching up with the era. For this reason, it is necessary to develop continuously and to advance by protecting the reached place. Because, modern civilization continues on its way with new developments due to its structure.

Today, in order to establish a direct link between the Kemalist Thought System and the highest level of civilization, as soon as possible;

To value human and human personality on a basis in accordance with our historical background, To avoid all kinds of movements that harm national feelings and weaken the strength of resistance and solidarity of the society, based on the ideal of our people to live in a free and honorable way, To realize the ideal of a balanced and just society,

To create a state that is far from all kinds of fights and has realized social justice,

To work for the happiness of the nation by protecting our existence within our national borders, with our own forces, without pursuing expansionist, utopian goals,

To make a national policy, which will manifest as expecting civil and humane treatment and mutual friendship from the world, dominate the state life,

To create national dynamism as soon as possible with the aim of ending the suffering of backwardness by realizing social, economic, cultural and spiritual development as a society,

To reorganize the state and society life completely, without relying on any class or group of the society,

We should try to stay away from all kinds of imitation and actions that contradict our own self.

This is necessary not only for us, but also for the happiness of future generations. Otherwise, we will not be able to see positive things for our society, and we will drown in confusion, as those responsible for the current crisis environment do. If the full and conscious Turkish intellectual knows the emergence and development of the Kemalist Thought System, he will find the solution to many current and future problems within this system.

As a result, Turkish society in recent history has shown its determination to become stronger and become a civilized nation again in a short time by walking on the positive path that Mustafa Kemal showed. Our duty today is to move the society to the forefront of the level of modern civilization as soon as possible, in unity and integrity, without deviating from the bright and positive path pointed by him. Thus, while our needs are met as required by the times, it may be possible to interpret Turkey's changing conditions accurately.

NOTE: This conference was given on 11 November 2002 on behalf of Atatürk Research Center in Bingöl.

Prof. Dr. Salim Cöhce*

*Inonu University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of History, Lecturer

Source: ATATÜRK ARAŞTIRMA MERKEZİ DERGİSİ, Sayı 54, Cilt: XVIII, Kasım 2002