Historian Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı emphasized that the greatest achievement of the Republic is instilling in the people the awareness of being “equal citizens,” regardless of faith, gender, or origin, in her remarks on the 102nd anniversary of the founding of the Republic.
Highlighting the importance of focusing on the future rather than engaging in disputes over the past, Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı said, “First of all, instead of fighting roosters over the past, we must turn our attention to the present and the future. We should never forget that only through unity and solidarity among all segments of society can we make our homeland a safer and more prosperous home.”
Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı, Head of the Department of History at Üsküdar University, shared her assessment of the 102nd anniversary of the founding of the Republic.
All citizens of the country are equal!
“The greatest achievement of the Republic is that it has instilled in all the people living in this land the sense of being ‘equal citizens.’” said Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı, continuing: “Civic consciousness means recognizing that no matter what social identities we hold, we are all individuals with equal rights. In other words, regardless of our faith, gender, ancestry, or income level, all citizens of this country are equal. The establishment of this awareness of equality at the societal level became possible with the proclamation of the Republic. In this sense, the foundation of the Republic was not merely a change of government or regime but a historical turning point in which the people became aware of their own power and gained the courage to determine their own destiny.”
The structural foundations of society were rebuilt
Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı noted that the founding of the Republic can be described as one of the most significant social ruptures in the country’s history, stating: “This process represents one of the deepest social and political transformations in our history. It not only marks the transition from monarchy to republic but also signifies the reconstruction of society’s structural foundations. In the pre-Republic era, as in other imperial systems, the political allegiance of individuals was directed toward a dynasty and a religious hierarchy. With the Republic, this allegiance was replaced by the will of the people, the understanding that ‘sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation.’ Thus, a complete paradigm shift occurred in the relationship between the individual and the state. This rupture within the six-hundred-year-old Ottoman tradition naturally reshaped the political culture, social values, and identity perception of the new nation-state, Türkiye.”
The idea of the Republic has taken deep root in society
“Although it cannot be said that the idea of the Republic has been fully embraced by every segment of Turkish society, it is indisputable that this idea has secured a permanent and unshakable place in the nation’s collective consciousness,” said Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı.
She continued: “There are various explanations as to why it has not been fully embraced by all social groups. The most common one, as seen in many other regions, is that the social transformation brought by the Republic was constructed through a ‘top-down’ model. Therefore, in its early years, the idea of the Republic found strong resonance particularly among urban, educated, and state-affiliated segments of society. The main reason it did not resonate as strongly in other groups lies in the greater influence of traditional lifestyles and religious-cultural references in those circles. Today, the core principles of the Republic, popular sovereignty, equal citizenship, and the rule of law, are broadly accepted, yet the ways in which they are interpreted and internalized differ across social groups. However, this is not unique to our history; in every era and in response to every kind of innovation, different parts of society have developed diverse attitudes.”
The Republic represents a break from the traditional structure of the Ottoman Empire
Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı emphasized that, in its essence, the Republic represents a departure from the traditional structure of the Ottoman Empire and continued: “Therefore, the change and transformation of a six-hundred-year-old established tradition would never be easy for any society, and it was not easy for us either. The separation of religion and state, in other words, the internalization of the distinction between religion, government, and public life, inevitably required a sensitive and long-term process for a population shaped by six centuries of habit. This led to adaptation and acceptance challenges in certain segments of society. As the traditional authority weakened and the public role of religion was restricted under the new regime, the security structures of the social order that people had been accustomed to for centuries either weakened or disappeared. Consequently, for groups with strong traditional ties, this created a deep rupture in collective consciousness, in the system of norms, values, and behavioral patterns they were used to, undermining their sense of trust, belonging, and predictability.”
The Republic provided a unifying framework in Türkiye
Recalling that the rapid transformation of established values through social reforms such as women’s rights, dress code reform, and the language revolution increased anxiety and resistance among groups with strong traditional attachments, Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı said: “When faced with innovation and change, both individuals and societies tend to prefer the familiar past, and this inclination is usually stronger. For the same reason, internalizing the new individual-citizen identity made it difficult for people to identify with it instead of the old identities, loyalties, and sense of security that had been familiar for centuries, because the new identity itself felt quite foreign in every way. Ultimately, the Republic provided a unifying framework in Türkiye but was not internalized to the same extent by all segments of society. Those with strong traditional affiliations reacted to the loss of the trusted old authority and order they had faced with the Republic.”
The focus should be on the future, not on fighting the past
Outlining a roadmap for the future, Prof. Hadiye Yılmaz Odabaşı said: First of all, instead of fighting over the past, we must turn our attention to the present and the future. We must recognize that the process of national identity formation, which began with the proclamation of the Republic, now progresses under different dynamics and that the spirit of the times has changed both in the world and in our country. We should never forget that only through the unity and solidarity of all segments of society can we make our homeland a safer and more prosperous home. For this reason, we must take steps that strengthen social and economic equality through participatory and inclusive education policies, collaboration and dialogue among different segments of society, and public-oriented awareness and experience opportunities. While doing this, by respecting the rhythm and cultural sensitivities of society, we can restructure the achievements of the Republic in the twenty-first century in a way that unites society on the foundation of citizenship and civic values.”