Again, another October morning, but today was different than the others. It was the day that we all celebrated the 100th anniversary of Republic Day with all our hearts. As for me, 29th of the October means being liberated from our helpless captivity of the Allied Powers, it is the result of the never-ending determination and dedication of the Turkish nation. It is pathetic for a Turkish to not know anything about our past, while we have such a powerful history. Not only for us, but also all around the world it is admired and our great leader, Atatürk made many sacrifices and contributions. It is my duty toI must learn the reasons behind our background.
Thus, this morning I was going through my great-grandfather’s ancient library. Although it was covered with dust and the shabbiness that came with it, I knew that it had the answers to the mysteries of our ancient past. As I went through the books with broken spines and torn pages, I came across the book of my answers. When I picked it up an incomprehensible letter fell out of the book. I started to cast an eye over the letter, unaware of the things I was going to figure out.
The letter had the conversation between Atatürk and Fahrettin Altay Pasha on 29th October. Fahrettin Altay Pasha was a guest in Çankaya Mansion for dinner with Atatürk. Fahrettin Altay Pasha was wondering why Republic Day was declared on October 29th. It could be three days ago or five days later, he thought. In fact, it was not a coincidence. The answers of Atatürk claimed that it was planned from the beginning. Atatürk started to explain, “The government was controlled by the palace, which was controlled by the Allied Powers. I felt responsible for finding a way out of this situation for my nation. We couldn’t accept that five years had passed since the invasion.” Atatürk asked Fahrettin Altay Pasha, “How many years passed from October 30 1918 to October 29 1922?” Pasha answered, “It was four years since the Mondros Ceasefire Agreement”, Atatürk continued, “We wanted to take the revenge of the 30th of October with our work and determination. This persecuted nation has risen to its proper place, this is the most significant desire for all of the pain we endure. This has been witnessed by all over the world. We may say that it is our greatest revenge for a nation that is tried to be erased. 29th October 1922 is our voice that says ‘I am ahead of you by one day. I renounce 30th of October. But you will all know 29 October!’”
I was impressed by that letter. I could not believe what I just read. We have such a rich history and besides, our leader has acted by thinking about every detail of everything for the honor of our nation. It can be one of the supreme pieces of information about past actions. It makes me incredibly proud as a Turkish that our nation is so fond of its own freedom. I believe that everyone should be aware of and distribute this information to honour and respect October 29th’s 100th anniversary. Knowing the idea of October 29 and regarding highly it is not a choice but a responsibility.