Dying In Peace for a War Commander
Heroes, saviors, ancestors, war commanders, and government leaders of a nation fight for only one thing: Independence of their motherlands. And they never resort to go back to the battlefield as long as they continue to live in freedom and in peace. Countries today are lucky that in history many of them had many heroes and many war commanders who altogether fought for the same purpose and kept their nations stood up freely. Yet looking the history of the establishment of the Modern Day Türkish Republic right after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in the same lands, there weren't many saviors and believers of the national freedom but one: The Savior, The Founder, and The First Prime Minister Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Atatürk has said: "One day my mortal body will turn to dust, but the Türkish Republic will stand forever". This quote of him alone is enough to tell how he persevered his vision. There aren't many comparable leaders to Atatürk in western culture, yet if I remind you the death of Don Vito Corleone -Marlon Brando's character in the movie Godfather- how he died of heart attack while playing hide and seek with his grandchildren, you'd grasp what it means dying in peace for a war commander like Atatürk.
Atatürk has said: "One day my mortal body will turn to dust, but the Türkish Republic will stand forever". This quote of him alone is enough to tell how he persevered his vision. There aren't many comparable leaders to Atatürk in western culture, yet if I remind you the death of Don Vito Corleone -Marlon Brando's character in the movie Godfather- how he died of heart attack while playing hide and seek with his grandchildren, you'd grasp what it means dying in peace for a war commander like Atatürk.
What Remembrance of Atatürk means for the Türkish
Atatürk's Patriotism principle: Happy is the one who says, "I'm Türk".
Atatürk's Republicanism principle: Authority, without any condition and reservation, belongs to the nation.
Atatürk's Populism principle: The true master of Türkish Motherland is the peasant.
Through a law introduced in 1937 to be added to the 1924 Turkish Constitutional Law the Republican Party of the first government regime had declared these 6 principles of Atatürk to follow in the parliament of the national sovereignty:
Republicanism, Patriotism, Populism, Secularism, Statism, Reformism.
Yesterday as it was approved, today as it is being obeyed, and tomorrow as it is being followed ; these 6 principles keep the Turkish Republic promised to Atatürk in loyalty.
Also with the Türkish National Anthem, and Atatürk's Adress To Youth the citizens of Turkey keep his legacy in obedience and devotion giving Atatürk an eternal life, as is evident from his speech in the early 1930's during his public reforms:
There are two Mustafa Kemal's; one is flesh-and-bone Mustafa Kemal who now stands before you and will pass away. The other one is you, all of you who will go to the far corners of our land to spread the ideals which must be defended with your lives if necessary. I stand for the nation's dreams, and my life's work is to make them come true.
Sources of References:
http://atam.gov.tr/kaynakcali-ataturk-gunlugu-2/
ONBESINCI YIL KITABI: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi Yayini, 1938 (trade paperback)
http://www.ingilizcechat.net/ataturk/ataturkun_sozleri/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YVXs1LAenA
Cihan Vercan
Nov,10th,2013
Atatürk's Republicanism principle: Authority, without any condition and reservation, belongs to the nation.
Atatürk's Populism principle: The true master of Türkish Motherland is the peasant.
Through a law introduced in 1937 to be added to the 1924 Turkish Constitutional Law the Republican Party of the first government regime had declared these 6 principles of Atatürk to follow in the parliament of the national sovereignty:
Republicanism, Patriotism, Populism, Secularism, Statism, Reformism.
Yesterday as it was approved, today as it is being obeyed, and tomorrow as it is being followed ; these 6 principles keep the Turkish Republic promised to Atatürk in loyalty.
Also with the Türkish National Anthem, and Atatürk's Adress To Youth the citizens of Turkey keep his legacy in obedience and devotion giving Atatürk an eternal life, as is evident from his speech in the early 1930's during his public reforms:
There are two Mustafa Kemal's; one is flesh-and-bone Mustafa Kemal who now stands before you and will pass away. The other one is you, all of you who will go to the far corners of our land to spread the ideals which must be defended with your lives if necessary. I stand for the nation's dreams, and my life's work is to make them come true.
Sources of References:
http://atam.gov.tr/kaynakcali-ataturk-gunlugu-2/
ONBESINCI YIL KITABI: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi Yayini, 1938 (trade paperback)
http://www.ingilizcechat.net/ataturk/ataturkun_sozleri/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YVXs1LAenA
Cihan Vercan
Nov,10th,2013
