Turkey's 90th anniversary: bloody past, uncertain future

October 29, 2013 - 17:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Ankara marks the 90th anniversary of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic on October 29. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who massacred the Greek population of Smyrna (Izmir) and dethroned the last, 36th Sultan Mehmed Vahideddin, proclaimed the Turkish Republic in 1923.

“Kemal celebrated his triumph by reducing Smyrna to ashes and slaughtering the Christian population there,” Winston Churchill said upon proclamation of the Republic.

Built on the blood and bones of the Christian population of the Ottoman Empire, present-day Turkey is not much better than its founding father. It was Ataturk who initiated the policy of nationalism, with the phrase How happy is the one who says "I am Turkish" (Ne mutlu Türküm diyene!) as its motto, which, however, became non-obligatory in the country’s schools according to a new package of reforms.

Ataturk has done a lot for his country by cancelling the caliphate, orders of Dervishes, veils, giving equal rights to women and family names to Turks. Still, Turkey remains a cruel and authoritarian country, where democracy and European values remain mere talk, with Erdogan coming to replace Ataturk.

The celebrations went as usual: after President Abdullah Gül laid a wreath on Ataturk’s tomb, he stood with other attendees for National Anthem.

“As we approach our country’s centennial anniversary, our gains [and successes instill a sense of] pride in us, [as we bear witness to Turkey’s] rise in all fields and its development as a global center,” Gul’s entry in the special guestbook at Anıtkabir mausoleum said.

Turkey, however, forgot all about the Treaty of Lausanne signed in Switzerland on July 24, 1923. The treaty not only recognized Turkey's independence, but also stipulated for the country to lift military defenses in Black Sea straits. The oil-rich province of Mosul, which was part of the Ottoman Empire, was annexed to Iraq.

Greece was obligated to compensate the damages inflicted on Anatolia through actions of Hellenic army. On the other hand, Turkey, considering the situation Greece was in, refused any reparation claims. Ethnic Greeks were evicted from every Turkish territory except Constantinople. Currently, around 4000 Greeks reside in Istanbul. Turkey caused Tripe Entente to abandon the idea of forming a 'national center' for Armenians. Out of 2 million of Armenians once residing in the Ottoman Empire, 60-70 thousand currently living in Istanbul remained.

Today, Turkey faces a choice to either follow Kemal's covenants or turn the country into an Islamic republic. The General Staff responsible for decision-making no longer exists; instead, the Justice and Development Party (АКР) or rather, its chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are in charge. True, if Turkey were to resolve the Kurdish issue, peace may come into the country. Yet Kurds, determined to defend their independence, are demanding autonomy.

With bloody past and uncertain future, Turkish Republic starts its last decade ahead of its 100th anniversary. 10 years is a lot, especially if events veer off the Erdogan-planned course. And the next year's elections will show if they will.