President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the commemoration ceremony held at the Atatürk Supreme Institution of Culture, Language and History on the 88th anniversary of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's farewell to eternity.
Speaking at the program where Derya Örs, President of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History, and Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy made the opening speech, Erdoğan stated that he remembered Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk with mercy.
Reminding the deputies of the period who led the War of Independence, Erdoğan said, "The following lines of our homeland poet Namık Kemal are a concise expression of how we thirst for martyrdom as a nation when it comes to our independence and future: 'There is blood and a sword visible in our flag, The fear of life does not wander in our plains and mountains, In every storm, a poem lies in our land, With martyrdom in the fight. We get all the money.' Yes; Today, once again, I remember with mercy our martyrs who fell bravely, bravely and heroically in all the fights we have been fighting for a thousand years. "I pray that my Lord will rest their souls in peace, may they rest in heaven, and may He grant us the right to witness," he said.
"WE WANT TO BRING A CIVIL CONSTITUTION TO OUR NATION"
Expressing his goal of a "civil constitution" in his speech on November 10, Erdogan said, "We want to provide one of the greatest services to our country by bringing the civil constitution to our nation."
Erdoğan stated that the state and the nation are in solidarity and said, "We will not stop or pause until we make this country, which is the legacy of our martyrs and veterans, much stronger with new victories and new achievements."
"GAZİ MUSTAFA KEMAL'S SENSITIVITY IS KEEPING ALIVE BY OUR INSTITUTION"
Pointing out that the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic was celebrated with enthusiasm last week, Erdoğan said:
"We once again remembered how a nation, which spent the last century with great pain, destruction and defeat, rose again, how it was reborn from its ashes, and how it crowned this magnificent uprising with the republic. It is certain that preserving the republic is possible by strengthening the institutions that constitute the memory of the nation, which is its essential and founding element. These institutions carry history to the present day; keep the identity and culture alive within them. The Ataturk Supreme Institution of Culture, Language and History is one of these institutions.
With this in mind, we built this magnificent work, revived it and brought it to the present day. Our institution, which carries out successful studies on our language, history and culture, also stands out with its research activities on the history of the early republic. Turkish Historical Society, Turkish Language Association, Atatürk Research Center and Atatürk Cultural Center carry out remarkable works in the context of academic and scientific works under the umbrella of the High Institution. Scientific committees and sub-commissions work like bees, so to speak, and make unique contributions to our country and nation.
The sensitivity of Gazi Mustafa Kemal, who said, 'I felt the joy of winning the Battle of Sakarya when I discovered the root of a word', is kept alive by our institution. With modern software infrastructure; with publications, encyclopedias and dictionaries; Today, I would like to congratulate once again our Higher Institution, which has distinguished itself on an international scale with its scientific research projects and academic activities. "I would like to thank all the members of the institution who devotedly serve our Turkish language, history and civilization, and wish them success in their work."
"KAHRAMAN MEHMETÇİK WROTE A UNIQUE EPIC"
"The War of Independence period, which the late Yahya Kemal described as 'the years in which we were involved with all the disasters that could happen to a nation', is one of the turning points of our history. Mustafa Kemal passed from Istanbul to Anatolia and ignited the torch of independence in the days when the Izmir docks were polluted by enemy boots. Gazi Pasha summarizes those days as follows: 'I want to first go to Anatolia and raise the thoughts and feelings of the nation there. I wanted to test the feeling once again and follow the possibilities of the country. After setting foot in Samsun, I immediately examined the nation and the country. I saw that the tendency of the country and the nation was such that it could leave those who hesitated in the defense of independence in a position of shame.
These words; It is the clearest indication that, at a time when our independence and future are under threat, salvation is sought not under the protection of other states, but directly in the determination and wisdom of the nation. In this respect, the national will declared loudly in Amasya spread throughout Anatolia in the Erzurum and Sivas congresses. Heroic Mehmetçik, shoulder to shoulder with our self-sacrificing nation, wrote a magnificent epic that is unique in the world, under the command and coordination of the Grand National Assembly.
With the republic established on October 29, following the victorious War of Independence, a new link was added to our chain of states, and sovereignty passed unconditionally to the nation. The road to salvation; It was opened with the spirit of independence that rejects humiliation, oppression and slavery. This beloved nation, which defended its homeland and honor at the expense of its life, has once again demonstrated that it will not give up its independence and future, no matter what the circumstances. Moreover, this struggle was fought not only for Anatolia, but also for the liberation of oppressed nations.
As a matter of fact, Gazi Pasha said the following at the dinner given in honor of Azerbaijani Government Representative Ibrahim Abilov, who visited Ankara during the most difficult days of the War of Independence: 'Türkiye's struggle is not limited to its own future; It is the cause of independence of all oppressed nations and the entire east. Türkiye is confident that it will walk arm in arm with the eastern nations that are with it until this is completed.'"
"WE BRINGED THE REPUBLIC TOGETHER WITH THE REPUBLIC"
"I would like to underline one thing in particular here: Those who exploit Gazi's legacy have looked down on this nation for decades. They did the greatest disservice to this nation by bending Gazi's ideas in line with their own political agenda. They created a wedge between the people and the republic through the image of Mustafa Kemal they created in their minds. We, on the other hand, tried to close this wound opened by those who inherited denial, by protecting both the achievements of the republic and our thousands of years of history, by embracing our past as a whole, every page of which is filled with glory and honor. We reunited the republic, which Gazi Mustafa Kemal described as 'the orphan of the orphans', with the people.
We ended tutelage and lifted meaningless bans; With democracy, we have opened a wide area for rights and freedoms. With the support of our dear nation, we eliminated the obstacles to the national will one by one. We have brought Türkiye to the levels it deserves with the works, services and projects we have implemented in defense, production, foreign policy, health, justice, education, transportation and many other areas. We have introduced to our nation an effective, reliable and respected Türkiye that actively contributes to global peace and stability, as envisioned by Gazi. "I find it useful to know this: Just as we foiled the dirty tricks with our faith, belief, and all our being, despite all the poverty and distress, and defeated the invaders who shrouded us, today we are building our future with the same perseverance and determination."
