The Turks moved their capital from İstanbul to remote Ankara. There, on Oct. 29, 1923, a secular national republic was declared, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was unanimously elected first president of the Republic of Turkey.My home country is only just over 200 years old; I found it overwhelming to sit in the park and walk around Ankara seeing traces of the numerous ancient civilizations that had influenced and fought over this land. Ankara and the surrounding areas are rich with various Hittite, Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman archaeological sites.
Turkey, as a nation, is young in comparison to some others and faced many early challenges. Anıtkabir, where the mausoleum of Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, looms on an imposing hill in the Anıttepe quarter of the city, was one of the first places I visited shortly after moving to Ankara. Naturally, I read the book “Atatürk,” penned by Lord Kinross, to better understand all that he did for this country. I had never seen anything like this before and stood in awe and respect. Anıtkabir was completed the year before I was born, in 1953, and is an impressive fusion of ancient and modern architectural styles.
Ankara has a very different flavor from İstanbul, the largest city in Turkey. It is situated on a plateau 3,000 feet (914 meters) above sea level and is one of the driest places in Turkey, surrounded mostly by steppe vegetation.
Ankara is a city of bureaucrats, overshadowed by the expansive and cosmopolitan city of İstanbul, and remains in a way more provincial. Ankara has grown in population over the past 30 years but not by any means in the way İstanbul has.
Even three decades ago, Ankara roads were well laid-out with wide boulevards, parks and public amenities. I think most would agree with me when I say that there is a friendly rivalry between the business elite of İstanbul and their bureaucratic masters in Ankara: many İstanbulites maintain that the best thing about Ankara is the road back to İstanbul.
I have a sneaking suspicion that for Ankarans the feeling is mutual. Most drivers with Ankara license plates are used to their wide roads. They tend to be hesitant and not aggressive enough in İstanbul traffic, aggravating locals who know the road and need to get to where they are going in record time.
If you can, you must go and visit the mausoleum and the accompanying museum, which has an impressive wax statue of Atatürk as well as some of his letters, personal items and an exhibition of photographs documenting important events in his life and during the establishment of the republic.
Aug. 30 is the day the Turks commemorate their victory in the War of Independence, when the foreign powers were expelled from Turkish soil. A major military parade is held in Ankara, and in İstanbul navy and helicopter fleets promenade along the Bosporus. Ceremonies are held at the main statue of Atatürk in each city, and dignitaries visit Anıtkabir. Civic parades are held in the evening, often by torchlight, along main streets.
The War of Independence involved three years of struggle for national sovereignty, and by its end, the Turks had driven all foreign forces from their land. Let me digress here: In 1921, Greece ordered 100,000 troops into Anatolia, ostensibly to support the Greeks of İzmir.
For the new Turkish nation, there was no turning back.
You may have heard this famous quote by Atatürk, when he launched the counteroffensive before he told his soldiers to march to the Aegean, saying, “I offer you the choice: death or the sea.”
If you have time when traveling around Turkey, visit Dumlupınar. This is where the Greeks were defeated on Aug. 26, and at İzmir on Sept. 9, 1922. Maybe you have driven through İzmir. You would never know that in 1922, it was destroyed.
Though the years from 1919 to 1923 were tumultuous, these victories united the new Turkish nation and restored the Turks' belief in themselves.
Wishing you rich celebrations as you enjoy Victory Day!
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
