For over three centuries, the Ottoman Empire had been involved in a never-ending struggle with several surrounding countries. As wars continued to claim lives, especially during the Balkan Wars and World War 1, the wartime trauma made its way down to the roots of Ottoman society and became a part of our history, forming the type of people who knew little else but the demands of war. The toll of such extended warfare had left an indelible mark, affecting every aspect of society, from governance and diplomacy to inhabitants’ daily lives. As a result, the consequences of these long-running battles led to the downfall of a glorious empire resulting in a puppet government corrupt to the core, an economic mess, and a divided nation that was losing more and more blood with each passing day.
Just as the situation couldn’t seem more hopeless for the Turkish people, a new hero arose. This hero was none other than Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He fought against and defeated the combined forces of the entire Axis alliance, achieving a never-before-seen victory, earning his place amongst the most respected military commanders of all time.
In spite of achieving an overwhelming victory against the Axis, Mustafa Kemal knew this was not nearly enough, so he decided to reform the leftovers of the empire to form a new and democratic republic. To achieve his ultimate goal, on April 23rd 1920, he opened the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, creating one of the first democratic establishments in the country. On January 20th 1921, a new constitution authored by him declared that sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation, clearly underlining that Türkiye is a democracy.
While these changes in the system already represented a big leap forward, they were merely the beginning of a new era. A day before the declaration, Mustafa Kemal invited his top commanders and government officials to his dinner. And in that dinner, he said: “Tomorrow, we declare the Republic of Türkiye.” When the day finally came, the National Assembly gathered to vote on whether Türkiye would be a Republic or not. After a long and grueling session of debates and arguments, on October 29th 1923, the Assembly came to declare Türkiye as a democratic republic. With this monumental declaration came prosperity and democracy to a country that was wrecked by war and poverty not more than just a few years ago.