The Turning Points of Turkish History: The War of Independence and the Sacred Legacy of the Republic

The National Struggle: An Epic of a Nation’s Rebirth from Its Ashes

The most critical, painful, and simultaneously proud turning point in Turkish history is undoubtedly the National Struggle (Milli Mücadele). The fact that the homeland was made open to occupation following the Armistice of Mudros after World War I was the final stage of the project to erase the Turkish nation from history. But there was one thing the occupiers forgot: the passion for independence in the character of the Turkish nation. The first bullet fired with the occupation of Izmir transformed a fading ember into a massive fire of liberty. The National Struggle was not just a defense of land; it was the total uprising of a will that said 'either independence or death.'

Atatürk’s Leadership and the Spirit of National Sovereignty in Parliament

Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s landing in Samsun on May 19, 1919, is the moment the Turkish nation’s fate turned. With the Amasya Circular, stating 'The independence of the nation will be saved by the nation’s own resolve and decision,' the prescription for salvation was delivered to the nation itself. Through the Erzurum and Sivas Congresses, mandates and protectorates were rejected, and the whole world was told that the homeland is a whole within national borders. The opening of the Grand National Assembly (TBMM) in Ankara is one of the greatest revolutions in our history; because now, the source of legitimacy for the war and salvation was directly the will of the people. With the establishment of the regular army, the Battles of Inönü, the Battle of Sakarya, and the final blow, the Great Offensive, sealed the fact that the Turk could not be uprooted from this land.

From Battlefields to Diplomacy Tables: The Victory of Lausanne

The National Struggle was not won only on the battlefield; it was also defended with great dignity at diplomacy tables. The Armistice of Mudanya signed after the Great Offensive is the first document showing that the Ottoman Empire had de facto ended and a new Turkish state was born. The Treaty of Lausanne, on the other hand, is the deed of independence, the title deed, and the registration of the Republic of Türkiye’s honorable place in the international arena. The abolition of capitulations at Lausanne and the recognition of full independence was the crowning of the National Struggle with political victory.

The Republic: Modernization and the Reform of National Identity

The proclamation of the Republic on October 29, 1923, was not just a change in management form in Turkish history, but the beginning of a deep-rooted modernization move. With the abolition of the Sultanate, it was ensured that the people could determine their own destiny, and with the reforms made, the level of contemporary civilizations was targeted in every field—from education to law, from the social status of women to industry. Atatürk’s Principles became the cement of this new structure and made Türkiye an island of stability in its region. To understand the spirit of the National Struggle is to know the value of today’s Türkiye. Every Turkish youth should know that every inch of soil from Gallipoli to Dumlupınar was irrigated with the blood of martyrs and should carry this sacred legacy of the Republic like a medal of honor on their shoulders.