Of Atatürk's revolutions, the proclamation of the Turkish Republic is one of the most important phases

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Arts and Sciences Academic Staff Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Samani, speaking within the scope of 29th October Republic Day, stated, “Of Atatürk's revolutions, the proclamation of the Turkish Republic is one of the most important phases”.

Reminding that following the Ottoman Empire exiting the first world war with a loss, the Anatolian community won the National Liberation War in very difficult conditions under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, Samani went on to say, “To follow, Mustafa Kemal laid down the foundations of the state with his revolutionary soul”.

Drawing attention to the fact that prior to the Lausanne negotiations, the dynastic state regime came to an end with the abolition of the Sultanate, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samani added that with the proclamation of the Republic, the issue of "who is the head of the state" came to an end, and in this way, the new state regime was determined.

In terms of revealing the secular nature of the new state, Samani pointed out that the proclamation of the Turkish Republic was very important, and elaborated, "With the proclamation of the Republic, instead of the sovereignty having a religious nature as a principle as it was with the Ottoman dynasty, the basis of the national sovereignty become validated and become secularized”.

Stating that with the proclamation of the Republic on 29th October 1923, the new state's political framework was drawn, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samani expressed that this framework was a secular state based on National Sovereignty.

With the institutionalized new Turkish state with the abolishment of the sultanate and the proclamation of the republic, Mustafa Kemal saw the caliphate as a threat to the secular nature of the republic, and Samani reminded that with this, the last link of the political revolution was realized.

Samani expressed that the political framework of the Turkish state was determined by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as a “Secular Republic,” and added that Atatürk deemed this as the primary guide bringing the Turkish society to modernity.