This week, we will be joining the Turks in celebrating Turkish Independence Day. It starts at 1:00 p.m. on October 28th, with a 21-gun salute, and lasts 35 hours, through the next evening(!). (We won’t be in charge of the guns.) And this year is the 99th anniversary of that date. So – as we put our party shoes on – we thought we’d refresh your memory of post-WWI Turkish history.
As you will remember, the Ottomans once controlled much of Central and Eastern Europe. Here is a gross oversimplification of what happened to change that: in the aftermath of WWI (which they were on the losing side of), the victorious countries began occupying Ottoman territory. Then Sultan Mehmed VI sent General Mustafa Kemal Pasha (aka, Atatürk) to Anatolia to restore order. Instead, he became the head of a nationalist movement, with a new capital in Ankara. And he led the fight for Turkish independence (war 1919-1923). When that war was ultimately successful, Atatürk became the first president of the Republic. He served four terms, until his death in 1938. Interestingly, Turkey created a national assembly in 1920 and abolished the Ottoman sultanate in 1922. But it did not formally declare Turkish independence until 1923.
Atatürk remains an important national hero – his (striking!) face is everywhere. And his model of a democratic, secular republic remains a lofty goal. In fact, it is difficult to convey just how strongly the Turkish people feel about Atatürk (= father of the Turks), even now. There are powerful pressures facing contemporary Turkey, and it’s fascinating and a bit worrying to watch how people are coping with them.
We love that Turkish Independence Day lasts two days instead of just one. Turkish Independence Day(s) feature fireworks, parades, concerts, and singing of the national anthem and other patriotic songs. We’re hoping to make the fireworks, at a bare minimum. And we suspect there will be food. Maybe we’ll even try some of it. If so, you can bet we will report on it!
