Victory Doesn't Suffice

From a country’s attainment of independence to its future development.

When we reflect on the past, we tend to view historical turning points as more definitive than they actually were, precisely because we know how they turned out. 30 August 1922 is a well-known date, as is the outcome of that day. However, for those involved in the War of Independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the future was uncertain. They did not know how the Great Offensive would end, how much longer the struggle would last or what kind of country would await them. What they did know was the gravity of the circumstances they faced and the hardships they had to overcome. Despite this, they pressed on.

It is here that the true meaning of victory emerges: the ability to embark on a journey without knowing the outcome, and the resolve it demands.

During the battle I commanded on 30 August, the Turkish nation stood by my side. Can you imagine how powerful it feels to act in unison with your fellow citizens? It's difficult to put into words. Please forgive me if I find it difficult to express this. (Hakimiyet-i Milliye newspaper, 30 August 1928)

The Turkey that emerged after 30 August had not yet fully established itself. The struggle led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk raised the question of what kind of country would be established once independence had been gained. The republic had not yet been proclaimed and the foundations of the new order, which would span every sphere from education and the law to science and culture, had not yet been laid. Following the successes on the battlefield, a lengthy period began during which the country had to be organised properly and a new social order established. A country's future cannot be secured merely by protecting its borders; the nature of life within those borders must also be determined.

The transformation that followed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk showed that victory could evolve from an outcome into a founding will.

No matter how significant political and military victories may be, they cannot endure or be sustained without economic success. (Afet İnan, The Republic of Turkey and the Turkish Revolution, Publications of the Turkish Historical Society, p. 104)

Over time, values that were once achieved through great struggle have become an integral part of our lives. For someone born under the Republic, living in an independent country may be an unquestioned reality. However, these were not ordinary conditions of daily life in the era of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The passage of time can obscure the way in which the things we possess today were achieved. This is precisely why commemorating 30 August is not just about repeating the past, but remembering the circumstances in which those values emerged.

Preserving the meaning of independence and the Republic is an expression of contemporary victory.

For centuries, those who have governed Turkey have considered many things; yet there is one thing they have failed to take into account: Turkey itself! The only way we can make amends for the harm inflicted on the Turkish homeland and the Turkish nation as a result of this oversight is to think of nothing but Turkey while in Turkey. Only by acting with this mindset can we achieve our goals of safety and happiness. (The Complete Works of Atatürk, Volume 16, Kaynak Publications, p. 288)

Collective memory is necessary not only for preserving the past, but also for understanding our current values. The memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the War of Independence should not be confined to the annual commemoration on 30 August. We have knowledge that people in that era did not: we know how events unfolded. However, the future is not predetermined for any generation. Inheriting the Republic and independence does not automatically guarantee what lies ahead.

Victory is passed down from generation to generation by combining the memory of the past with responsibility for the future.

Many families have the bad habit of not letting their children speak or listen to them. When children try to join a conversation, they are often told, “Don’t interrupt the adults!” and silenced. This is wrong and harmful! Instead, we should encourage children to speak freely and express their thoughts. This provides an opportunity to correct their mistakes and prevent them from becoming liars and hypocrites in the future. In short, we must encourage our children to express their thoughts openly and without hesitation, and to defend their beliefs while respecting the views of others. At the same time, we must strive to instil in them a love for their homeland, nation, family and fellow citizens, as well as a love of truth, goodness and beauty. In my view, these are important points that must be emphasised at all times and in all places in children's education, from the lap of their mother to the highest institutions of learning. Only through these means will our children become useful citizens of the country and well-rounded individuals. (Hasan Rıza Soyak, Atatürk and His Characteristics with Photographs, 1965, p. 79)

Atatürk is seen here in 1922 with a Russian and Azerbaijani delegation in the Çay district of Afyon. Source: Hanri Benazus Archive – Anadolu Agency

The significance of 30 August cannot be reduced to a single battlefield victory. The determination shown by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his supporters on that day proved that a new future could be forged from uncertainty. Today, our task is not to take that future for granted, but to preserve its meaning. Through the Address to the Youth, the National Anthem, the Speech, and his teachings, we must address the needs of our time.

Victory is a society's ability to reaffirm its will to determine its own destiny in every generation. And we need this more than ever now.