MUSTAFA NECATİ

There are very few statesmen in the world who have achieved great success in their short lives. Mustafa Necati, who has undertaken the most difficult tasks in our recent history, is one of them.

Mustafa Necati was born in Izmir in 1894. After completing his primary and secondary education here, he enrolled in Istanbul Law School and returned to Izmir after graduating from there in 1913. He worked as a lawyer for a while; She worked as a director in the Private Eastern High School and as a teacher in the Girls' Teachers' School. Upon the occupation of İzmir, he first fled to Istanbul, then went to Balıkesir and joined the Kuva-yı Milliye movement. After the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Saruhan came to Ankara as a Member of Parliament. Upon the deterioration of peace and security in the country, Independence Courts were established; He was first appointed as a member of the Sivas Independence Court and then as the chairman of the Kastamonu Independence Court for the second term.

After the War of Independence was won, some changes were made in the political, legal and cultural fields in line with Atatürk's ideas for the restructuring of the state. Atatürk appointed knowledgeable, brave and trusted people who would quickly implement his ideas in the established governments. In this context, Mustafa Necati assumed duties in the most difficult ministries and worked with great renunciation to bring Atatürk's ideas to life. ^one

Upon the signing of the Turkish-Greek Exchange Agreement in Lausanne at the beginning of 1923, the exchange of Greeks in Anatolia and Turks outside Western Thrace was decided. The Ministry of Exchange and Reconstruction-Settlement was established in order to ensure the transportation and resettlement of approximately 500 thousand of our compatriots and Mustafa Necati was appointed to this task. During his four-and-a-half-month ministry, around 150 thousand people were brought to Turkey and resettled.

The Caliphate was abolished in 1924 and accordingly the Ministry of Sharia and Evkaf was abolished. Contemporary legal reforms have come to the fore in the country. In order to carry out these works successfully, Mustafa Necati, known as the man of difficult tasks, was brought to the Ministry of Justice and the Justice reform on May 1, 1924 was made in his time.

Undoubtedly, the most difficult studies of the Republican period were in the field of education. In fact, the founders and rulers of the Republic thought that structural change could only be achieved with the training of appropriate manpower, and for this reason, they gave importance to the spread of educational institutions everywhere. ²As it is known, about 80% of our population lived in rural areas at that time. To educate these people; The Ministry of National Education has a great responsibility to bring modern knowledge and culture and to carry the revolution to the farthest points. Mustafa Necati, who has a young, energetic and organizational character, was appointed to the Ministry of National Education in 1925. During his tenure, he gave great importance to teacher training. Throughout the history of the Republic, teachers received the greatest honor from Mustafa Necati after Atatürk. Again, the Alphabet Revolution, one of the most important changes in our cultural life, was made in his time.

Mustafa Necati died on January 1, 1929 as a result of appendicitis surgery while he was serving as a minister, and he passed away when he was 36 years old, in the most productive age for a statesman.

After the 1st Armistice, Mustafa Necati:

Although the signing of the Armistice of Mudros was first met with hope in İzmir, then a pessimistic atmosphere emerged and non-Muslims caused various outbursts. ³ However, Mustafa Necati never lost hope and continued to organize the people around him.

After the armistice, the Allies dismissed the Aydın-Kasaba railway workers. Mustafa Necati pioneered the establishment of the Izmir Railways Islamic Officers Association in order to protect the rights of workers and assumed the role of legal counsel. This society resisted the injustices and published statements against the Allied Powers in the newspapers. Again in Izmir, the Committee of Union Officers was established by the reserve officers who participated in the 1st World War but became unemployed after the end of the war, and Mustafa Necati was the father of ideas of this society. ⁴

As an active member of the Turkish Hearth, Mustafa Necati wrote articles for various newspapers, especially Ahenk. Upon the approaching danger, on 14 May 1919, Moralızade Halit and Ragıp Nurettin prepared a statement together with the gentlemen and gathered the people in Maşatlık. On the morning of May 15, Izmir was occupied. Mustafa Necati, with Haydar Rüştü, was in their home and watched the arrival of the Greek ships with tears. ⁵ After staying at home for a few days, she escaped from Izmir and went to Istanbul with her close friends, Halide Nusret Zorlutunalar. Transferred to Balikesir on September 19, 1919; Here, he participated in the Kuvâ-yı Milliye movement and participated in the gang wars in Soma and Bergama with his fellow countryman Bulgurcu Mehmet Efe. Here he took part in the operation against Anzavur.⁶

Mustafa Necati published the newspaper İzmir'e Doğru while he was in Balıkesir. His 22 editorials were published in this newspaper, which started publication on November 16, 1919 and continued for 75 issues. He also pioneered sports activities and established the İdman Yurdu Society on December 19, 1919, and took part in the board of directors. He established the Balıkesir Bar Association on January 25, 1920 and assumed the second presidency. His life in Balıkesir continued for 7 months and he went to Ankara after the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

2. Member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Mustafa Necati

It is possible to examine Mustafa Necati's works in the Assembly in several parts. In addition to his duties in the Independence Courts, he took an active role in three ministries such as Population Reconstruction-Settlement, Ministry of Justice and National Education. He also gave nearly 200 speeches in the Assembly on various topics.

2.1. Status of Mustafa Necati in Legislative Studies

Mustafa Necati gave speeches on various subjects such as military service, security, budget, finance, foreign policy and independence courts, apart from his ministry duties. In general, we can classify them as follows.

2.1.1. Military and Security

In his speeches on this subject, he talked about the issues that strengthen national unity and national security and increase the morale of the soldiers.

2.1.2. Budget and Finance

In financial matters, he touched upon the economic difficulties of the country and demanded the efficient use of resources and the improvement of the livelihoods of public officials. He also drew attention to the importance of Maritime Enterprises for our country.

While speaking on financial issues, he wanted the expression "Turks from abroad" to be used instead of the word "immigrant" for his compatriots from abroad. ⁷

2.1.3. Foreign policy

His first speech on Foreign Policy was on the Treaty of Sevres and he stated that this treaty could never be accepted. He made the following statements in his speech: “As this treaty, which destroyed the right of the Turks, the honor and dignity of Islam, is being read today, I am rebelling with a cry from my heart and I say, O Europe, O England! There is a Turk and an Islam who will not accept the principles you preach. He rebelled against the Greek oppression with his gun and rifle in Turkey and Islam. This revolt does not remain silent, and an agreement cannot be submitted until this revolt is silenced”. In the continuation of his speech, he stated that the Turkish nation is the protector of Islam, that they spread civilization to the world, that nothing can prevent the demands of the Turks, that Europe is a liar and deceitful, and that no Turk, Izmir, Greek or Greek.

Mustafa Necati strongly criticized some articles of the Treaty of Lausanne. While touching on the financial issues of the treaty, he said that the division of the general public was unfair, all debts were loaded on Turkey, warships were confiscated, and Hejaz railways were built with Turkey's money; he also touched upon the issue of cemeteries, the Straits and capitulations and expressed the problems in these matters. He also strongly criticized the abandonment of monetary demands for repairs in war zones, which is included in Article 58 of the Treaty. One of the issues he criticized the most about Lausanne was the Mosul issue. He said the following about it:

“The delegation has not yet decided on the issue of the Mosul continent, which cannot be separated from us. The continent of Mosul is Turkish and will remain Turkish forever. Let the whole world know that they will not have gained anything for themselves from Mosul. The Mosul continent is permanently attached to Turkishness, and we will never leave the continent-i nobleman by any force, and I submit once again that we will not leave the tribunal”. ⁸

Even today, it is well understood how important Northern Iraq, and therefore Mosul, was for the security of our country, especially after the Gulf War.

2.1.4. Mustafa Necati and the Independence Courts

After the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the Hiyanet-i Vataniye Law was enacted on April 29, 1920 to ensure peace and security in the country. However, this law could not be effective due to the problems in implementation. A new draft has been prepared. Fevzi Pasha wanted the bill to be enacted. Likewise, Mustafa Necati argued that such a law was needed in order to prevent deserters and ensure security. Considering İsmet Pasha's proposal dated September 18, 1920, it was decided to establish courts in 14 places, seven of which were urgent. As a result, courts were established in Ankara, Eskişehir, Isparta, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Konya and Sivas. In the voting for the member elections, Mustafa Necati was appointed as a member of the Sivas Independence Court by receiving 89 votes. ⁹This court mostly worked in Amasya. It had an impact on the Pontusist movement in Samsun, the corrupt officials who abused their positions and the oppressors who put pressure on the people; Also, bandits like Postman Nazim were punished. As a result, the public's trust in the government was ensured. ¹⁰

2.1.4.1. Mustafa Necati's Works in Kastamonu

After the first period of Independence Courts were suspended, public order in the country was broken again. This time, the Independence Court was established in Kastamonu, Konya, Samsun and Yozgat. As a result of the voting in the Assembly, Mustafa Necati was appointed as the chairman of the Kastamonu Independence Court. He left Ankara on 10 August 1921; After a few days of trial in Çankırı, he arrived in Kastamonu on 18 August.

Mustafa Necati organized the Kuva-yı Milliye movement in Kastamonu, in addition to the presidency of the court. He closely followed all the activities of the National Struggle, especially the shipment of soldiers, weapons and ammunition; He sent reports to Mustafa Kemal Pasha from time to time. He went as far as Bolu, Adapazarı and Izmit, which were within the jurisdiction of the court, and made trials there. He also went to İnebolu, Taşköprü and Daday, which are districts of Kastamonu. He gathered the young and idealistic staff in Kastamonu around Açıksöz newspaper; used the newspaper office as a headquarters. He was interested in the municipal elections held at the beginning of 1922; A young and enlightened person, Dr. He used all his strength to make Fazıl Berki Bey mayor and succeeded. He supported municipal services and employed inmates in municipal affairs. In Kastamonu, he was closely involved with institutions such as the Defense of the Law, the Red Crescent Society, the Child Protection Agency, the Youth Club, the Teachers' Association and the Science Association, supported their work, attended their meetings and made speeches. Kastamonu Municipality did not stay away from his services to the city and declared himself the first "Honorary Citizen" of the city on April 25, 1922. Based on the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, we believe that this title is the first honorary citizenship granted in Turkey. attended meetings and gave speeches. Kastamonu Municipality did not stay away from his services to the city and declared himself the first "Honorary Citizen" of the city on April 25, 1922. Based on the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, we believe that this title is the first honorary citizenship granted in Turkey. attended meetings and gave speeches. Kastamonu Municipality did not stay away from his services to the city and declared himself the first "Honorary Citizen" of the city on April 25, 1922. Based on the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, we believe that this title is the first honorary citizenship granted in Turkey.

Mustafa Necati attended the open-air meetings held in Kastamonu center, İnebolu and Taşköprü and gave information to the public about the struggle. The speeches of Mustafa Necati, a master orator, had a great morale effect on the people.

As a result of the effective work of the Independence Tribunal and therefore Mustafa Necati, security in this region was ensured and the operation was carried out with great success. After the courts finished their work, he left Kastamonu on 24 August 1922.

3. Ministry Duties of Mustafa Necati

As it was tried to be expressed before, Mustafa Necati; He served as the Ministry of Population Development, Housing, Justice and National Education. These ministries successfully completed the most difficult tasks under the conditions of that day. Mustafa Necati's knowledgeable, young, energetic and organizational character has been an important factor in this success.

3.1. Ministry of Exchange, Development-Settlement

On January 30, 1923, the Convention and Protocol on the Exchange of Turkish and Greek Populations were signed in Lausanne. ¹¹ Defeated in the war, Greece created great pressure and terror on the Turks there, confiscated 75% of their products under the name of “War Tax” by confiscating their goods. ¹²Apart from these, during the First World War, the problems of the people who migrated from the east due to the Armenian oppression and the people who had to flee from the Aegean towards the interior and therefore left their homes and shelters reached their peak. In short, when the War of Independence ended, the state had to deal intensively with this resettlement business. For this purpose, the Ministry of Exchange, Development and Settlement was established. In the voting held in the Assembly on October 20, 1923, Mustafa Necati was appointed to this ministry by taking the votes of 158 out of 163 members. In his speech, he thanked the deputies and stated that such a difficult task would be accomplished together with the nation. ¹³

The appointment of Mustafa Necati to this ministry was also welcomed in the press. Yeni Gün wrote that he was a young, determined and self-sacrificing person, that he served successfully in the Independence Courts, and that he would overcome this important task. ¹⁴ Hâkimiyet-i Milliye newspaper, on the other hand, stated that it was late in this matter and drew a pessimistic picture; however, he stated that a difficult task such as housing would be undertaken by a young and determined member of the Assembly and wrote that he was trusted. ¹⁵

After Mustafa Necati took office, he completed the organizational work of the Ministry and prepared its budget a day or two later. An undersecretariat was established in the Ministry, and accordingly, the General Directorate of Housing and Exchange, the General Directorate of Reconstruction, the Inspection Board, the İhsaiyat, Documents and Communications Branches and the Legal Consultancy were established. Later, 6.125.277.50 .TL from the Assembly. amount of money requested. On 8.11.11923, the Exchange and Zoning-Settlement Law was accepted and the country was divided into 10 settlement zones.

In Turkey, 7,000 people came first from Lesbos, followed by others from Greece. Since the word “Muslim” was mentioned in the exchange agreement, people came to our country from Greece, other than those of Turkish origin. Rıza Nur has been harshly critical of this issue.

Mustafa Necati made country tours from time to time to examine the situation of immigrants on the spot. He gave information about his work by holding monthly press conferences. For example, at the meeting on February 5, 1924, the number of immigrants from Greece up to that time was announced as 29,091 and it was stated that these people were resettled in Samsun, Thrace, Balıkesir, İzmir, Bursa, İstanbul, Konya, Sivas and Kastamonu. ^{At the meeting held on March 16} , he stated that the number of immigrants arriving in February was 19,973. ¹⁷

Mustafa Necati, in a speech in the Assembly, declared the number of immigrants who came during his ministry as 155,585. ¹⁸

Thousands of people move to the country, be hosted, eat and drink in winter conditions and without any serious preliminary preparation; Later, their resettlement in various parts of the country naturally created great difficulties. The properties that were previously abandoned by the Greeks and Armenians and called abandoned properties could not be fully identified and preserved. Some shrewd people also usurped these goods. Due to the shortage of civil servants, the provincial organization of the ministry was managed with temporary officers from other ministries, and a healthy service could not be provided, and coordination difficulties were experienced. Meanwhile, the belongings of the immigrants were stolen and the first resettlement took place in bad conditions. The main difficulty stemmed from the inability of immigrants to be resettled in areas associated with agricultural culture. For example, a farming family came to the city, A family engaged in olive cultivation, on the other hand, has been settled in a place where there is no olive just because there is a place to shelter. The season is winter, the number of immigrants is high and finally the lack of adequate preparation has caused significant distress and lamentation. However, under the conditions of that day, it is not possible for a state that has just come out of the war and hasn't even had the opportunity to recover itself to do better. Despite everything, it was tried to do the best among the available possibilities and success was achieved. It is not possible for a state that has just come out of the war and hasn't even had a chance to recuperate, to do better. Despite everything, it was tried to do the best among the available possibilities and success was achieved. It is not possible for a state that has just come out of the war and hasn't even had a chance to recuperate, to do better. Despite everything, it was tried to do the best among the available possibilities and success was achieved.

3.2. Ministry of Justice

Mustafa Necati started his duty as the Minister of Justice on March 6, 1924, right after the Ministry of Exchange, Development and Settlement.

The year 1924 was a year when the most important decisions were taken in the history of the Republic. Previously, the sultanate was abolished and the Republic was proclaimed. In 1924, however, the caliphate was abolished, and the Ministry of Sharia and Awqaf was abolished. As a result, fundamental changes were made in the Constitution and some laws. The Turkish state left the sharia order and switched to the civil law order. Meanwhile, the laws of European countries were examined, the legal system was reorganized and secularized. Schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education, which were previously affiliated with the Ministry of Sharia and Evkaf, were put an end to the school-madrasa dichotomy, which had been going on since the Tanzimat, and the secular education system was accepted. After the Tanzimat, Nizamiye courts were established alongside the Shari'a courts and two types of courts, one religious and the other civil, began to operate in the country. Again at that time, the legal system was corrupted and the courts were corrupt. The lawsuits dragged on for years; the people are tired of waiting at the court gates; He was unable to pursue his case. Judges and court officials were extremely inadequate, and bribery and corruption in the courts reached their peak. Because of all these, citizens have lost their trust in justice.

The founders and rulers of the Republic, especially Atatürk, took this situation into account and carried out studies arranging the justice system. Atatürk referred to the independence of the judiciary in his speech when opening the Turkish Grand National Assembly and said, “It is unacceptable that a nation whose judicial power is not independent is a state”. ¹⁹ Again, in a speech on March 1, 1921, he said, "It is unthinkable that our legal legislation should be deficient in the legislation of all civilized states," and demanded amendments to the Civil Code and other laws, to a single-judge court system, to speed up the judiciary and to distribute justice quickly, starting with the Mecelle. . ²⁰

With the Republic, the source of sovereignty changed; The concept of national sovereignty was put in place by abandoning the shar'i rules. In addition, it was stated that the source of national sovereignty was the nation, and this provision was included in the Constitution.

Atatürk's legal reform was founded on the idea of ​​secularism. With the adoption of the secular law rule, Turkish law separated from its religious nature; The principles of unity and generality, which are the basic principles of contemporary law, also emerged as a result of secularism. Judicial power, which is the basis of independence, has been guaranteed by the legal revolution. Thus, the transition from theocratic state to the "State of Law" was passed. As it is known, in the rule of law, citizens have rights as well as the state. ²¹

It is clear that Atatürk wanted to do with the legal reform. Mustafa Necati was appointed as the Ministry of Justice as an executive who would boldly fulfill his thoughts. He first established a commission and planned the work to be done. These; Laws and Legislation Regulation, Judges Liquidation, Registry and Bar Associations Liquidation commissions.

The intensive work of the commissions showed its fruits and the 1 May 1924 courthouse reform took place. As a result of the arrangements made, Courts of Peace, Court of First Instance, Murder and Appeal were established in Turkey. The state, which has adopted the principle of bringing the justice service to the citizens, has spread the courts to the districts. Even in the big town centers, the establishment of a court was considered.

Registries of judges were not kept in the Ministry of Justice. For this reason, it was not possible to determine the merit of the judge. Mustafa Necati established a commission of high-ranking judges and rearranged the registers of judges.

As it is known, it is essential to finish the Law School in order to become a judge. However, this rule was not followed in those years. According to the information given by Mustafa Necati, as of April 30, 1924, 959 of the 1713 judges in the cadre were filled by law and nevvap, while the other 754 judges were filled by professionals. As a result of the evaluations, the judges who were unqualified and had bad records were liquidated on May 1, 1924. In addition, the salaries of judges were increased, personnel were sent abroad, and the profession was tried to be respected and attractive.

An integral part of the legal system is undoubtedly the right to defense. This right is often exercised through lawyers. In those years, it is seen that the word "muhâmi" was used instead of the word lawyer. The legal profession has also degenerated, and bribery and corruption have surfaced, especially in large centers such as Istanbul and Izmir; Citizens' confidence in the right to defense has been shaken.

To be a lawyer today, studying law is the basic requirement. However, in the past, many people who did not have legal training served as "attorneys" and this practice continued until recently, especially in small town centers. Mustafa Necati enacted the Muhamat Law on April 26, 1924, with the legal regulation he made, and subsequently established a liquidation commission of 34 people, including 24 judges and 10 lawyers. He dismissed about a thousand muhâmin, most of whom were incompetent. He gave the following response to the criticisms on this issue in the Assembly.

“We also did the liquidation. Liquidation is difficult, gentlemen. Is it an easy thing? You will get your bread from the mouths of 1000 lawyers and you will stamp "the person taken is from the people of fame". Is this the easy thing? It's easy to sentence a man to death. But it is very difficult to get the bread from the mouths of 1000 such people. We are convinced that we are doing our duty of conscience, gentlemen. I did not make them lalettayin”. ²²

There is no information about the number of people who practiced law in those years. However, this figure is very high even on today's scale. Of course, this incident tells us how bad the legal system was in those days; therefore, it clearly shows how Mustafa Necati is busy with a difficult job.

In addition to judges and lawyers, well-trained and qualified courthouse officers are necessary for the proper functioning of justice services. However, court officers were also insufficient in those years. Taking this situation into account, the state planned to open schools in Istanbul, Ankara and Erzurum. On September 20, 1924, the Vocational School of Justice was opened in Ankara in order to train the court clerk, bailiff and mustantik (interrogation judge). That day, Mustafa Necati made a long speech and gave information about the courthouse reform. ²³ Some legal historians have regarded this school as an important development on the way to Ankara Law Faculty. ²⁴ Again, the opening of this school has been accepted as one of the most important events of 1924 in terms of the history of legal education. ²⁵

As the cases dragged on for many years, the prisons were full. Also, their families were devastated. Mustafa Necati also dealt with this issue; Thanks to the justice reform, the courts started to work fast. The number of detainees, which was around 37 thousand when he took office, decreased to around 9 thousand as of September 20, 1924, according to the speech he made while opening the Vocational School of Justice. It is a fact that the amnesty issued in 1924 was as effective as the rapid work of the courthouse in reducing the figure to this level. However, it is an important success to reduce the number of prisoners called victims of fate from 37 thousand to nine thousand.

Mustafa Necati worked for better publication of journals such as Ceride-i Adliye and Mukarrerat-ı Temyiziye. He made an effort for the healthy functioning of the Forensic Medicine Institute, which helps the work of the courts. During his time, preparations were made for the Commercial Code, the Penal Code, the Mecelle Amendment, the Müfarât Münakehat Law and the Judgment Law.

3.3. Ministry of Education

In the Republican period, radical studies were carried out in the field of national education. Atatürk, who wanted to reach the level of contemporary countries as soon as possible, believed in making radical studies in education and therefore gave some important tasks to the staff around him. Mustafa Necati is one of those who understand best what Atatürk wanted to do. During his ministry, dynamism, love of duty, respect, love and trust dominated the national education community. ²⁶ Integration was achieved with the teachers and the most successful period was experienced.

Before he became a minister, Mustafa Necati was closely interested in education issues. He worked as a teacher in İzmir and as a director at the Private Eastern High School. He established very close contacts with schools and teachers in Kastamonu, where he was the head of the Independence Court. He became the President of the Teachers' Union in 1924 and won the love of all teachers with his services.

Mustafa Necati started his duty as the Minister of National Education on 21 December 1925. Those years cover the most difficult periods of our country. In 1924, the Caliphate was abolished, the madrasahs were closed, and the madrasa-school dichotomy, which had been going on for many years, was ended. While the revolution movements were spreading, some internal turmoil occurred. Reactions arose when it was said that coeducation would be introduced in high schools. Istanbul teachers protested on the grounds that religious and patriotic teachers were not trained; In addition, teacher school students boycotted.

When Mustafa Necati took office, it is understood that the number of schools and teachers was very insufficient. Although 350 thousand children go to school, it is seen that one and a half million children are deprived of school.

Mustafa Necati, referring to Atatürk in the first circular he published, said, “Our great mentors, who opened new and bright horizons for our nation, preached and it is our aim to reach the goal with an unshakable faith, within the principles that they have pointed out”. In the same circular, he explained his thoughts on raising the new generation with the following words.

“It is necessary to prepare the new generation physically and intellectually, as well as in character and national excitement, for a new life and according to the requirements of democracy, and in this way, it is necessary to try to provide Turkishness with a high position within the civilization group it belongs to. To be able to walk towards this goal with full order is incompatible with having a strong and conscious police and a virtuous air in schools”. ²⁷

In his circular, Mustafa Necati also mentioned the subject of Darülfünun and stated that the scientific level of this institution would be raised and the exceptional power of our nation should be shown in the field of science.

His first circular received great support from the press. The newspaper Cumhuriyet, referring to his successful services in the Ministry of Justice, wrote that one of the ardent figures of the revolution and one of the most energetic minds came to the head of education. Similar articles were published in Hâkimiyet-i Milliye. In fact, these two important newspapers of the period provided great support in all the activities of Mustafa Necati. It is not a coincidence that there are articles criticizing him in these newspapers. Undoubtedly, the support of the press is very important for the executives even today.

Mustafa Necati has taken primary school as a prerequisite for success in education. According to him, if primary education does not become widespread enough, the number of students going to higher education institutions will decrease; therefore, Turkey will not be able to reach qualified manpower. For this reason, it gave importance to primary education and aimed to train 30 thousand teachers in ten years, 3 thousand people every year. If we take into account that the number of villages in Turkey is around 40 thousand, it is understood that it is planned to appoint a teacher to each village in the first ten years.

Mustafa Necati is an organizational and determined statesman. Another feature of it is the principle of working with a collective staff of experts. As a matter of fact, when he became a minister, he immediately gathered the Heyet-i İlmiye and planned the works that needed to be done.

3.3.1. Legal Regulations in the Ministry of National Education

Mustafa Necati made some legal arrangements about his ministry and enacted new laws. Firstly, the Ministry of Education Organization Law No. 789 was adopted on March 23, 1926. In addition to the Program Committee, Primary Education Department, Secondary Education Department, Türk Asar-ı Atikası, Registry and Statistics offices that had been established until that time, the Language Committee and the Education Committee were added with this law. In addition, with the 1926 Budget Law, Construction and School Architecture, School Museum and Health Departments were established. Again, with the law numbered 789, Educational Trusts were established and the country was divided into 13 regions and "Educational Trustees" were appointed to these regions. In this way, the ministry's services were carried out and supervised more effectively.

The Ministry aimed to reach thirty thousand teachers in ten years, provided that three thousand teachers are trained annually. However, the facilities of the existing teacher schools were not at a sufficient level to reach this number. For this reason, an additional resource, similar to today's funding system, was created and 10% of the money belonging to special provincial administrations was transferred to the ministry budget by enacting the Law No. 819 on Assistance to Teachers' Schools.

In order to make secondary education attractive and, besides, to enable students in need of more help to study, the Law No. 822 on Not Receiving Nehari Fee from High School and Secondary School Students was enacted.

The cheap printing and distribution of textbooks has always been a problem. In order to provide cheap books to students, the Law No. 823 on the Tabulation of School Books was enacted by the Ministry of Education. While negotiating this law, Mustafa Necati said that textbooks are in the hands of experts and that parents cannot obtain cheap books. ²⁸

Due to the insufficient number of primary school teachers, the Law No. 842 on Primary School Assistant Teachers was enacted in order to recruit staff for the profession, and individuals leaving various classes of secondary schools and higher schools were given the opportunity to join the teaching profession on the condition that they pass exams for some courses.

In order to protect minors from harmful publications, Law No. 1117 on Protection of Minors from Harmful Publications was enacted. In his speeches on this subject, Mustafa Necati stated that the youth all over the world are protected from harmful publications and that the same practice should be done in our country.

Vocational education is one of the most important issues that were worked on during the Republican period and could not be achieved. Until 1927, vocational schools served under the provincial administrations and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. In the same year, Law No. 1052 on Vocational Schools was enacted and these schools were affiliated to the Ministry of National Education.

The Law No. 1237 on the Compulsory Service of the Student with Meccani Leisure, which ensures that unpaid boarding students are obliged to serve half of the time they study, and the Law No. 1288 on the acceptance of international figures were prepared and accepted in the time of Mustafa Necati.

3.3.2. Studies on Organizing the Central and Provincial Organization of the Ministry of National Education

For the development of the Turkish language III. In accordance with the decisions of the Heyet-i İlmiyye, the Copyright and Translation Committee was abolished and the Language Committee was established in its place. Mustafa Necati talked about the efforts of the French and Russian academies to study our language properly and to eliminate the gap between the people and the intellectuals, but he said that this could not be established in the current environment.

Within the framework of arranging cultural studies, Hars Department was assigned with the subjects of National Library, Museums, Fine Arts, Theater and Public Libraries.

Sanayi-i Nefise branch was established in the Ministry and in 1927, the name of Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi in Istanbul Fındıklı was changed to Fine Arts Academy.

In order to carry out the statistical works of the Ministry in a healthy way, the Department of Immigration and the Registry Office were put into service to determine the records of teachers in a healthy way. In addition, a different approach was taken in the field of school architecture; For this purpose, a circle was established and it was headed by Prof. from the Vienna Academy. Egli has been brought. The School Museum Department was established in order to develop the teaching materials in schools, to preserve and exhibit the existing ones. The health of the teachers was given importance and the Validebağ Provantoyum was opened in Istanbul.

Mustafa Necati gave great importance to the subject of Education and Discipline. He wanted this institution to be the brain of the Ministry and to have an autonomous structure so that it would not be affected by its political dispositions. In this regard, he cited the civilized country, the Majlis-i Ali-i Maarifi in France, as an example and said that the institution had the most say in the making of the training programs and in the organization. ²⁹

Mustafa Necati also brought dynamism to the inspection system of the Ministry. Inspectors are divided into two groups as central and district inspectors. In 1928, the Ministry had more than 300 education inspectors, more than 20 general education inspectors and 6 education and training inspectors. In this regard, in-service training was given importance and 177 inspectors were taken to the course in Sivas.

3.3.3. Studies in Formal and Non-Formal Education

In those years, pre-school education was not given much importance, rather the subject of primary education was emphasized. Mustafa Necati gave information about the state of primary education in his speech in the Assembly. He announced the number of primary schools as 4770 and the number of students attending the school as around 350 thousand. According to the information he gave, around one and a half million students were deprived of school. Of the 9062 teachers, 3960 are teachers' school graduates, and the other 5102 are teachers with a license.

With the Republic, it was aimed to spread education to the farthest points of the country. In this respect, some privileges and conveniences have been provided, especially considering rural areas. Primary schools are divided into two as city and village; City schools are organized for five years and villages for three years. Village yachting schools were opened in order to gather the children of the scattered villages in central places and teach them. In addition, efforts were made to open boarding schools, taking into account the characteristics of the villages in the eastern provinces. Emphasis was placed on the education of orphaned children and it was thought that they would have a profession in the city yacht schools.

According to the information given by Mustafa Necati at the first press conference, the state of secondary education as of the 1925-26 academic year is as follows: 71 schools, 56 boys and 15 girls; A total of 5938 students were educated, of which 4761 were boys and 1077 were girls. Mustafa Necati, in his speech at the 1928 budget negotiations, declared the number of students in secondary schools as 2455 in the 1923-24 academic year. In the 1927-28 academic year, this figure increased to 10433 and an increase of around 425% was achieved. It is understood that the situation is in the same direction in high schools. In 1925, 17 boys and 4 girls were in 21 high schools; A total of 5506 students, 4447 boys and 1059 girls, were educated. This figure increased to 10433 in 1928 and a success of 160% was achieved. In addition to the numerical increase in education, quality was also given importance. Not just a theoretical education,

Mustafa Necati gave importance to the development of vocational education and the opening of new schools. For this purpose, the ideas of experts such as John Dewey and Alfred Kühne, who had come to our country before, were used; also Belgian Omar Buysa was invited to the country. Mustafa Necati, in a statement, said, "The Ministry of Education has to give importance not only to the development of schools that give general education, but also to the development of vocational schools that provide vocational education and information." ³⁰ As a matter of fact, as stated before, the law numbered 1052 was enacted and vocational education was included in the ministry. As a result, art schools were opened in Ankara, Aydın, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Edirne, Istanbul, Kastamonu and Konya.

When Mustafa Necati took office, there were only Istanbul Darülfünunu and Ankara Law School as higher education institutions. He took a close interest in Darülfünun, visited this institution when he went to Istanbul, and received information about his work. He wanted the scientific level of the Darülfünun to increase and the teachers to publish, and he thought that this institution would gain an autonomous structure away from the influence of the ministers. However, despite all good intentions, Darülfünun could not adapt itself to the times and was later closed down. In the budget negotiations of 1927, it is seen that he only mentioned the Civil Service and the High Teachers' School.

It is seen that great strides have been made in the field of non-formal education. In those years, due to the fact that most of our people were illiterate, public private courses were opened in order to both teach literacy and give them basic citizenship education, and around 50 thousand people were trained there. After the Alphabet Reform was made in 1928, there was a strong need to teach the new writing. For this purpose, Nation Schools were opened in the centers where schools are located, and about 42 thousand courses were organized there, and about one million citizens learned to read and write. In addition, the National Schools were planned as A and B classrooms, only reading and writing was taught in A classrooms; In B classrooms; Basic education was given to those who could read and write.

It is also seen that during his time, courses in painting and handicrafts under the supervision of German experts, physical education under the supervision of the Swedes, and housekeeping courses under the supervision of US experts were given to girls.

3.3.4. Teacher Training

As it was tried to be expressed before, great importance was given to training teachers during the Mustafa Necati period and it was aimed to reach 30 thousand teachers in 10 years with the calculation of 3 thousand teachers per year. However, it is understood that around 4200 students were educated in 25 teacher schools in those years. The physical qualities of the teacher schools outside of Istanbul, Adana, Edirne and Izmir were found to be extremely inadequate.

Primary schools are divided into two groups as villages and cities; three years in villages and five years in cities. Parallel to this, it was planned to train teachers in cities for five years and village teachers for three years. For this purpose, two schools were opened in Kayseri and Denizli. Considering the conditions of the village, it was thought that the new ideas would spread rapidly to the rural area. As a result of the measures taken, there has been an increase in the number of teachers and students; however, these figures are far behind the target number of 3 thousand teachers annually.

A school was opened in Konya in 1926 to meet the Turkish teacher needs of secondary schools. This school moved to Ankara in 1927; pedagogy, mathematics, physics, natural sciences and history-geography branches were added. Finally, the Gazi Middle Teachers' School and Education Institute building, which was the work of Architect Kemaleddin and whose foundation was laid by Mustafa Necati, was put into service in the 1928-29 academic year and the school moved to this building.

In order to meet the need for physical education teachers, a one-year physical education course was opened at Istanbul Capa Teachers' School, where Swedish experts took charge.

During the time of Mustafa Necati, students were sent to England, Germany and France for foreign language education, to Germany for music education, to Denmark for handicraft and painting pedagogy, to Austria for primary school inspection and to Sweden for physical education. When they returned, they worked in teacher training schools.

3.3.5. Sports and Scouting Studies

Mustafa Necati also made important services in the field of sports. As early as 1924, he attended and chaired the congresses of the Turkish Training Associations Alliance. In the meetings held in the following years, he emphasized the importance of sports and wanted the vitality provided in social life to be shown in sports as well, and he wanted us to take the distance that western countries have taken in 10 years. He advocated the opening of gyms in every province; He said that a sick youth would be a weakness for the country. He wanted the youth to fight to defend the homeland when it was in danger, and to be given an education within this framework. For this purpose, he prepared plans with the General Staff and the Ministry of National Defense and announced that they gave military training in schools. In his speech to the Parliament in 1928, he said:

“The activities of both our fellow soldiers working on this issue and our students are worthy of gratitude. The scenery of this youth, who works with their weapons under tents in the military camps in the summer, is truly hopeful, with pride. With the Bozkurt Association Organization Law, we will ensure that young people outside of school also enter the style of life. This law has been examined by the relevant committees and has been presented to your delegation”. ³¹

As it can be understood from these statements, camps were organized in the summer months to train young people in high school and teacher schools and to give them military information. However, it is also seen that the state aims to educate young people who do not go to school for the same purpose and plans to establish an association by making legal arrangements for this purpose.

1 Mustafa Eski, Cumhuriyet Döneminde Bir Devlet Adamı Mustafa Necati, Yayınlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Gazi Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Ankara 1995, s. 4.

2 Rifat Önsoy, “Cumhuriyetten Bugüne İlk ve Ortaöğretimimiz ve Bazı Meseleleri”, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, Sayı: 6 (1991), s. 5.

3 Zeki Arıkan, “Mustafa Necati”, Çağdaş Türkiye Tarihi Araştırmaları Dergisi, Sayı: 2 (1992), s. 58.

4 Zeki Ankan, a.g.e., s. 59.

5 Haydar Rüştü Oktem, Mütareke ve İşgal Anıları, (Haz: Zeki Ankan) Ankara 1991, s. 78.

6 Kâzım Özalp, Millî Mücâdele 1919-1922, Ankara 1985, C. I., s. 98.

7 TBMM Zabıt Ceridesi, D.II., C.XVII, Ankara 1976, s. 155.

8 TBMM Zabıt Ceridesi, D.II, C.I, Ankara 1961, s. 246.

9 Ergün Aybars, İstiklâl Mahkemeleri MI, İzmir 1988, s. 47.

10 Mustafa Eski, a.g.e., s. 48.

11 İsmail Soysal, Tarihçeleri ve Açıklamalarıyla Birlikte Türkiye’nin Siyasal Andlaşmaları, C: 1, Ankara 1983, s. 176-183.

12 Kemal An, “Cumhuriyet Döneminin İlk Yıllarında Türkiye’de Mübadele, İmar, iskân İşleri ve Mustafa Necati”, Mustafa Necati Sempozyumu, Ankara 1991, s. 47.

13 TBMM Zabıt Ceridesi, D.II, C.II, Ankara (tarihsiz yay.), s. 826; Yeni Gün, 21.10.1339, Sayı: 1511(1934).

14 Yeni Gün, 21.10.1339, Sayı 1311 (1934).

15 Hâkimiyet-i Milliye, 23.10.1339, Sayı: 947.

16 Yeni Gün, 5.2.1924, Sayı: 1415 (1029).

17 Yeni Gün, 21.3.1924, Sayı: 1444 (1068).

18 TBMM Zabıt Ceridesi, D.IL, C.VII, Ankara 1970, s. 1046.

19 Atatürk’ün Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisini Açış Konuşmaları, TBMM Yay., Ankara 1987, s. 49.

20 A.g.e.,s. 69.

21 Gülnihal Bozkurt, “Atatürk’ün Hukuk Alanında Getirdikleri”, Atatürkçü Düşünce, Ankara 1992, s. 616.

22 TBMM Zabıt Ceridesi, D.II, C.X, Ankara (tarihsiz yay.), s. 144.

23 Ceride-i Adliye, Sayı: 27 (1 Teşrinievvel 1340), Hâkimiyet-i Milliye, 21.9.1924, Sayı: 1226.

24 Ahmet Mumcu, Ankara Adliye Hukuk Metebinden Ankara Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesine, Ankara 1977, s. 15-16.

25 Gülnihal Bozkurt, “Türkiye’de Hukuk Öğreniminin Tarihçesi”, Hukuk Öğretimi Sempozyumu Bildirisi, (ayn basım), A.Ü. Hukuk Fak. Yay., Ankara 1993, s. 61.

26 Rauf İnan, Mustafa Necati, Ankara 1980, s. 41.

27 Hâkimiyet-i Milliye, 25.12.1925, Sayı: 1614.

28 TBMM Zabıt Ceridesi, D.IL, C.24., Ankara (tarihsiz yay.), s. 186.

29 Hâkimiyet-i Milliye, 9.2.1926, 1653.

30 Hâkimiyet-i Milliye, 9.2.1926, Sayı: 1653.

31 TBMM Zabıt Ceridesi, D.IIL, C.4., Ankara (tarihsiz yay.), S. 206.

Assist. Assoc. Dr. Mustafa Eski*

*Director of Gazi University Kastamonu School of Health

Source: ATATÜRK ARAŞTIRMA MERKEZİ DERGİSİ, Sayı 35, Cilt: XII, Temmuz 1996