Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz's New Book Examines the Republic's One-Hundred-Year History

Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz, Head of the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, has had her book titled “Turkey's 100 Years: Annotated, Bibliographical Chronology (1923-2023)” published by Atatürk Research Center Publications. The work, which examines the Republic's one-hundred-year history through political, economic, social, and cultural developments, presents historical events within a chronological structure, along with their sources and explanations.  

Explaining the emergence process of the book that addresses the Republic's one-hundred-year history, Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz, Head of the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, stated that the work began with the Atatürk Research Center Presidency's initiative to prepare a General Reader Series. 

“Preparing a Chronology is Not Just About Collecting Information”

Yılmaz described the preparation process of the book as follows: “Undertaking the responsibility of such a comprehensive study on the history of the Republic was both exciting and deeply meaningful for me. Undoubtedly, preparing a chronology for a one-hundred-year period is a very arduous task. The aim here is not merely to list important events in chronological order. It was necessary to select developments in political, economic, social, and cultural fields according to certain criteria, verify their dates and contents, and, when necessary, reveal their historical contexts with explanations. One of the most challenging aspects of the work was deciding which of the countless events that occurred over a century should be included in the book. Because preparing a chronology means not only collecting information but also selecting historically significant events with specific and consistent criteria. For this reason, I tried to include developments that had broad impacts on society, left traces in collective memory, reflected the spirit of their era, and at times, remarkable events that remained in the background of historical narratives. The work emerged after two years of intensive source scanning, comparison, verification, and editing. Ultimately, I aimed to create a reliable and comprehensive resource that not only documents the Republic's one-hundred-year history but also presents the reader with the big picture of this long historical process, a resource they can refer to when needed,' she said.

“The Chronological Method is Also an Important Tool for Understanding How Today Came to Be”

Highlighting the importance of examining the history of the Republic within a chronological structure, Yılmaz stated that this method helps to see the connections between historical events. Yılmaz said, “A chronological structure provides a suitable ground for presenting the history of the Republic not as a collection of independent events, but as a historical process with continuities, ruptures, and transformations. The Republic's one-hundred-year history is not merely about changes in political powers or forms of government. It is also the history of the transformation of society, the economy, institutions, and daily life. The chronological method allows us to see under what historical conditions all these developments emerged and how they influenced each other. An important contribution of this approach is that it connects the present with the past. Many of the issues we face today have their roots in different periods of the Republic. Therefore, chronology is an important tool not only for narrating what happened in the past but also for understanding how today came to be. My main goal was to enable the reader to see the big picture of the Republic's one-hundred-year history. While chronology arranges historical events according to their dates, it also makes visible how developments in different areas intersected during the same period and how they created a transformation over time. Thus, the reader can evaluate both the changing aspects of the Republic and its enduring issues over one hundred years,' she added. 

“Reliability and Verifiability of Historical Information are Important”

Stating that she meticulously focused on source selection and the verification of historical information while preparing the book, Yılmaz said; “The most important aspect for a historian is the reliability and verifiability of historical information. For this reason, I utilized a very broad and diverse pool of sources. Newspapers of the period, official institutional publications, statistics, academic books, articles, theses, and digital resources formed the core material of the study. Comparing different sources was particularly important for dating historical events and evaluating their details. For me, the main issue was not only the accuracy of the information but also which events would be included in this one-hundred-year history. Because hundreds of events occur every day, and it's not possible to include all of them in one book. At this point, I based my selection on the events' impact on society, the traces they left in collective memory, and the extent to which they reflected the character of their era. The reason for including explanations and sources in the book was not only to present a date and an event to the reader but also to ensure that the background of the event could be understood and that more in-depth research could be done by accessing relevant sources when desired. Thus, I aimed for the book to be both an accessible reference work for the general reader and a usable resource for researchers,' she said.

“History is Not Only the History of States and Politicians But Also of Societies”

Evaluating the prominent turning points in the Republic's one-hundred-year history, Yılmaz drew attention to the fact that the transformation of daily life is historically significant, alongside major political developments. Yılmaz said, “When I look at the Republic's one-hundred-year history, the issue that made me reflect the most was how some fundamental problems in Turkey persisted in different forms despite major transformations. As a historian, it is important for me not only to identify turning points but also to understand what historical accumulation led to these ruptures and how they transformed society. Besides the establishment of the Republic and the radical reforms carried out in the 1920s and 1930s, the transition to a multi-party political life in 1946, the change of power through elections in 1950, military interventions, and political and institutional changes in the 2000s are also extremely important for understanding today's Turkey. One of the issues that particularly made me reflect is that the modernization and democratization processes in Turkey have not always progressed in the same direction. While significant progress has been made in areas such as education, urbanization, technology, and women's participation in social life, we observe that issues like political polarization, democracy, law, and freedoms have re-emerged in different periods. While preparing the book, I also paid attention to the relationship between major political events and daily life. Changes in consumption habits, communication tools, and lifestyles are as much an important part of the Republic's history as constitutional amendments, economic crises, and military interventions. Because history is not only the history of states and politicians but also of societies. In my opinion, the most important thing that the one-hundred-year history of the Republic shows us is that change is never one-sided and uninterrupted. Regressions as much as advancements, and losses as much as gains, are also part of this history. To understand today correctly, we need to evaluate the past with all its contradictions. This was essentially the big picture I tried to present in the book,' she stated. 

“The Republic's One Hundred Years: The History of the Effort to Create a New Society and Understanding of Citizenship”

Evaluating Turkey's one-hundred-year transformation, Yılmaz said; 'This one-hundred-year chronology shows us that Turkey has undergone a great transformation not only in its political regime and institutions but also in its social structure, economy, culture, and daily life. We are talking about a process that extends from a country trying to rebuild after wars in 1923, with most of its population living in rural areas, to an urbanized, industrialized Turkey with more intense relations with the world. However, I do not find it sufficient to evaluate this transformation solely through material developments. The Republic's one hundred years is also the history of the effort to create a new society, an understanding of citizenship, and a collective identity. Radical changes occurred in many areas, from education to law, from the social status of women to family structure. One of the points that caught my attention while preparing the chronology was how the speed and direction of change differed across periods. In some periods, political and institutional transformations stood out, while in others, economic developments, social mobility, and cultural changes were decisive. In my opinion, one of the most important contributions of this chronology is to show that Turkey's one-hundred-year history is not only the history of great successes and crises but also the history of changes in the lives of ordinary people. The Republic is a dynamic process that each generation has reshaped within its own conditions. Today's Turkey was also formed by the accumulation of choices, struggles, gains, and ruptures experienced over one hundred years,' she concluded. 

A Reference Source for Both General Readers and Researchers

Stating that she aimed for the book to appeal to a wide readership, from students to researchers, Yılmaz said; “My main goal when preparing this book was to make the Republic's one-hundred-year history a reliable and understandable resource that could be used in academic research and easily referred to by history enthusiasts. I believe that historical knowledge should not be limited to academic circles but should reach broad segments of society. In history education, events are often learned in isolation from each other. This chronology can help students establish connections between periods by bringing together political, economic, social, and cultural developments on the same timeline. For researchers, I aimed for the book to be a reference and a starting point for research. Researchers examining a specific period or event can see other developments in Turkey at the same time and deepen their research by using the explanations and sources. I consider it important for the work to be a resource that can be referred to again, allowing a specific year or period to be examined when needed. I want readers, when they close the book, not only to gain more historical knowledge but also to be able to look at the Republic's one-hundred-year journey from a broader perspective,' she said.

“By Understanding the Past Correctly, We Can Shape the Future More Consciously”

Highlighting the importance of historical consciousness in the Republic's second century, Yılmaz said; “As we enter the Republic's second century, I believe that knowing the history of the first one hundred years is more important than ever. A significant portion of the political, economic, and social issues we face today have historical roots. Without knowing the past, it is difficult to correctly evaluate the present, and without understanding the present, it is hard to develop a sound perspective for the future. The Republic's first one hundred years shows us not only major transformations, achievements, social struggles, and crises but also how societies made decisions in the face of changing conditions and what kind of outcomes these choices led to. Therefore, one should not look at history solely through achievements to be proud of or mistakes to be criticized. The historian's duty is not to glorify or condemn the past but to try to understand it within its own conditions. This is also the main message I want my book to convey to the reader. History is not just a record of what happened in the past; it is the story of how the world we live in today came to be. For this reason, I included economic, social, and cultural developments that affect daily life, alongside major political events. As we enter the Republic's second century, one of the most important lessons to be drawn from the past is that the future does not shape itself spontaneously. Today's decisions and choices will also form the history of tomorrow. We cannot change the past, but by understanding it correctly, we can shape the future more consciously. I hope that when readers finish the book, they will look at the past more critically, the present from a broader perspective, and the future with a stronger historical consciousness,' she concluded.