Attack on the Atatürk bust in the schoolyard in Muğla

A bust of Atatürk in the garden of Salih Zeki Gür Primary and Secondary School, located in Kötekli District of Menteşe district of Muğla, was damaged.

While the police launched an investigation into the incident, Muğla Metropolitan Municipality teams renewed the bust and placed it back in its place, working throughout the night.

Hüsnü Bozkurt, Chairman of the Ataturkist Thought Association, made evaluations about the incident. Bozkurt stated that the attacks against Ataturk and the founding values ​​of the Republic should not be evaluated only on a single incident, and that similar incidents occurred in different places.

“NOT A SINGLE EVENT”

Arguing that the attacks against Atatürk are not independent of the political and social climate in the country, Bozkurt said, "It is not a single event, it is happening everywhere. Didn't these happen in the past? Of course they did. It's not like it doesn't happen, but now they have created a climate that encourages such events. It is very sad, but this is the truth."

Claiming that the founding values ​​of the Republic, Ataturk and Ataturk's revolutions have been targeted for a long time, Bozkurt stated that the environment in question encourages such attacks.

“IT IS FEEDING FROM ANTI-ATATURK”

Bozkurt, who also criticized the rhetoric of some figures in public administration, said, "From top to bottom, from the President of Religious Affairs to the ministers, there are people who are anti-Ataturk, anti-Republic, anti-reason and anti-science. They are fed by this climate." Bozkurt argued that the education system was also affected by this understanding and said that children should be equipped with scientific knowledge.

“WE WANT TO CREATE A SOCIETY OF ALLEGIANCE AND OBEYANCE”

Criticizing education policies, Bozkurt claimed that children were being alienated from a scientific education that could compete with their peers around the world.

Bozkurt said, "Our education has become such that we do not equip our children with scientific knowledge to compete with the children of the world. They do this very consciously. To create a society of allegiance and obedience."

Touching on the "religious generation" discourse, Bozkurt said, "We can translate this as 'we will raise generations that obey and obey.' In other words, they are constructing an education to produce people who do not think, cannot use their minds, cannot interpret events and synthesize their own, and act according to what is said."

Emphasizing that the most important intellectual legacy against this understanding is Ataturk and the Republic revolutions, Bozkurt said, "The biggest obstacle to this is, of course, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his teachings and revolutions."

POLICE STARTED INVESTIGATION

Crime scene investigation teams came to the area upon notice and worked in the school garden. While the evidence regarding the incident was being examined, security camera footage was also examined. Police teams have initiated work to identify and capture the person or persons who allegedly damaged the Atatürk bust.

THE METROPOLITAN CITY REPLACED THE BUST

Following the incident, Muğla Metropolitan Municipality teams also took action.

In the statement made by the Metropolitan Municipality, it was stated that the Atatürk bust was renewed and placed back in its place with the work carried out throughout the night.

The statement said, "When our children come to school today, our Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk welcomes them again."

The statement emphasized that the Atatürk bust is not just a physical structure and added: "That bust is not just a bust; it is the symbol of our Republic, our independence and our common values ​​that our children see every morning."

Muğla Metropolitan Municipality condemned the attack and demanded that the perpetrator or perpetrators of the incident be identified as soon as possible. The statement said, "We condemn this ugly attack; we expect the perpetrator or perpetrators of the incident to be identified as soon as possible and the necessary legal action to be taken against them."

STATEMENT FROM AHMET ARAS