The Speech of the Tenth Anniversary of the Turkish Republic
October 29, 1933
This famous speech was given by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on the Republic Day of 1933. Those were most difficult times, only 4 years after the global market crash of 1929 and a few years before the Second World War during which Turkey stayed carefully neutral. Before and during the extreme destruction of the war, Turkey invited many escaping professors from Germany during their most difficult times of suffering. They helped building up major departments and scientific research at Turkish universities.
The main emphasis in this speech of 1933 is on the accomplishments and motivation to the public to concentrate on civilization, fine arts and science.
(translated by the ITUMD USA, October 2013)
Turkish Nation!
We are in the 15th year since the beginning of the War of Independence.
Today is the day of celebration of the 10th Anniversary of our Republic. Congratulations! At this moment, as a member of the great Turkish Nation, I am very happy and excited that I have lived to see this great day.
My fellow country men!
We have accomplished many great things in a short period of time. The greatest and the basis of all is the Turkish Republic which is the the result of Turkish courage and Turkish culture. The success in this is owed to the march of the Turkish Nation and its valuable army in unity. We cannot see our accomplishments as satisfactory, because we need and desire to do more and greater things.
We will escalate our country to the level of the most developed and civilized countries. We shall provide the Nation with the widest and best welfare tools and resources. We shall escalate our national culture above the level of contemporary civilization. For this, our measure of time should be based not on the lax mind of the past centuries but on the ideas of speed and motion of modern times. We will work more in relation to the past. We will do more in much shorter time. I do not doubt that we will succeed in this.
Because the character of the Turkish Nation is high, because Turkish Nation is industrious, Turkish Nation is intelligent. Because Turkish Nation has been able to overcome difficulties with unity. And because its torch on the road of progress and civilization is positive science.
I must emphasize that the historical character of the Turkish Nation is loving fine arts and excel in them. Therefore, it is our national ideal to empower and develop the high character, untiring industriousness, intelligence, devotion to science, love for the arts and national unity of our Nation with all our means. This ideal will make it successful in its duty of civilization in contributing to the real world peace of all humanity.
Great Turkish Nation!
During the 15 years you have heard many words of mine promising success in our deeds. I am happy to say, that I did not have any disappointment to shatter the nation's trust in me. Today, I am saying with the same faith and determination, that the civilized world will recognize the Turkish Nation as a great nation while it is walking to the national ideal in unity. I never doubt that the Turkish Nation will rise as a new sun on the horizon of civilization with its further development, with its forgotten civilized character and ability, with its national ideal.
Turkish Nation! In all of ten years into eternity, I wish with all my heart that you celebrate this great national day with greater pride, happiness, peace and prosperity.
How happy is the one who says "I am a Turk".
Türk Milleti!
Kurtulus Savasi'na basladigimizin on besinci yilindayiz. Bugün Cumhuriyetimizin onuncu yilini doldurdugu en büyük bayramdir. Kutlu olsun! Su anda, büyük Türk milletinin bir ferdi olarak, bu kutlu güne kavusmanin en derin sevinci ve heyecani içindeyim.
Yurttaslarim!
Az zamanda çok ve büyük isler yaptik. Bu islerin en büyügü, temeli, Türk kahramanligi ve yüksek Türk kültürü olan Türkiye Cumhuriyeti'dir. Bundaki muvaffakiyeti, Türk milletinin ve onun degerli ordusunun bir ve beraber olarak, azimkârane yürümesine borçluyuz. Fakat yaptiklarimizi asla kâfi göremeyiz; çünkü, daha çok ve daha büyük isler yapmak mecburiyetinde ve azmindeyiz.
Yurdumuzu, dünyanin en mamur ve en medenî memleketleri seviyesine çikaracagiz. Milletimizi, en genis, refah, vasita ve kaynaklarina sahip kilacagiz. Millî kültürümüzü, muasir medeniyet seviyesinin üstüne çikaracagiz. Bunun için, bizce zaman ölçüsü, geçmis asirlarin gevsetici zihniyetine göre degil, asrimizin sürat ve hareket mefhumuna göre düsünülmelidir. Geçen zamana nispetle daha çok çalisacagiz, daha az zamanda daha büyük isler basaracagiz. Bunda da muvaffak olacagimiza süphem yoktur.
Çünkü, Türk milletinin karakteri yüksektir; Türk milleti çaliskandir; Türk milleti zekidir. Çünkü Türk milleti millî birlik ve beraberlikle güçlükleri yenmesini bilmistir. Ve çünkü Türk milletinin, yürümekte oldugu terakki ve medeniyet yolunda, elinde ve kafasinda tuttugu mesale, müspet ilimdir. Sunu da ehemmiyetle tebarüz ettirmeliyim ki, yüksek bir insan cemiyeti olan Türk milletinin tarihî bir vasfi da, güzel sanatlari sevmek ve onda yükselmektir. Bunun içindir ki, milletimizin yüksek karakterini, yorulmaz çaliskanligini, fitrî zekâsini, ilme bagliligini, güzel sanatlara sevgisini ve millî birlik duygusunu mütemadiyen ve her türlü vasita ve tedbirlerle besleyerek inkisaf ettirmek millî ülkümüzdür. Türk milletine çok yakisan bu ülkü, onu, bütün beseriyette, hakikî huzurun temini yolunda, kendine düsen medenî vazifeyi yapmakta muvaffak kilacaktir.
Büyük Türk milleti!
On bes yildan beri, giristigimiz islerde muvaffakiyet vadeden çok sözlerimi isittin. Bahtiyarim ki, bu sözlerimin hiç birinde milletimin hakkimdaki itimadini sarsacak bir isabetsizlige ugramadim. Bugün, ayni iman ve katiyetle söylüyorum ki, millî ülküye, tam bir bütünlükle yürümekte olan Türk milletinin büyük millet oldugunu, bütün medenî âlem az zamanda bir kere daha taniyacaktir. Asla süphem yoktur ki, Türklügün unutulmus büyük medenî vasfi ve büyük medenî kabiliyeti, bundan sonraki inkisafi ile, atinin yüksek medeniyet ufkundan yeni bir günes gibi dogacaktir.
Türk milleti!
Ebediyete akip giden her on senede, bu büyük millet bayramini daha büyük sereflerle, saadetlerle, huzur ve refah içinde kutlamani gönülden dilerim.
Ne mutlu Türküm diyene!