“Tarihi Bir Vaka: Büyük Millet Meclisi”, Hakimiyet-i Milliye, 23 Nisan 1920, Ankara
“A Historic Event: Grand National Assembly”, Hakimiyet-i Milliye (The Sovereignty of the Nation), 23 April 1920, an Ankara based newspaper reporting the foundation of Turkish Grand National Assembly. In Ottoman-Turkish script...
Forever grateful for all the souls worked to make this happen, including the man himself, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
A century of national sovereignty... A century of freedom... I cannot begin to express the entirety of my gratitude for what had been done for it to happen. I can only say that, with all my existence, I am in awe of and grateful for all the sacrifice that had been made. All the lives that had been lost, all the lives that had been lived in agony and struggle. I don’t believe one should be proud for anything other than their own accomplishments but I can say that I am more than happy to know such heroism and live in an environment resulting from it.
Today, a century ago, after wars that a nation witnessed for over a decade, a foundation had been laid for a republic to be born soon. Representatives from around the country gathered in Ankara, now the nation’s capital, to express their wish to nation to be freed from all bounds there were, including foreign occupation and a sultan -a king that had no will on his own and under the thumb of the Allied forces of World War I.
All the ones could gather and could not agreed upon one sole thing: the sovereign of the people shall only be the people, not any other. Six months later, in October 29, it was announced that that sovereignty now had a name: Republic of Turkey.
Later, this day, April 23, was announced to be annually celebrated as “National Sovereignty and Children’s Day” by Ataturk, founding father and the first president of the republic. Children all around the country and adults too, celebrate such day with joy and gratitude for all the ones that fought for it, especially Ataturk, the man that lead a nation to stand and rise.
Today, as a once child now adult Turkish young woman, I am grateful that they fought and stood tall for not only themselves but for us too.
Best regards from your grateful descendant...
