The 101st anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne was celebrated in Atakum

Atakum Municipality held a celebration program at the Hasan Ali Yücel Youth, Science and Art Center to mark the 101st anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne.

The 101st anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne was celebrated with a special program organized in collaboration with Atakum Municipality, the ADD Samsun Branch, and SAMSİDER. During the event, Prof. Dr. Kemal Arı, Director of the Atatürk Principles and Revolution History Institute at Dokuz Eylul University, gave a talk titled “Lausanne in its 101st Year.” Prof. Dr. Arı signed copies of his books, which he wrote in the field of history, for his readers, and provided important information about the significance of the treaty during his talk. The event also featured a screening of the Lausanne section of the 1988 film “Republic,” which was scripted by Turgut Özakman and directed by Ziya Öztan.

Yıldız: “We are proud and happy”

In his opening speech, Atakum Deputy Mayor Suat Yıldız stated, “Our Atakum district is unique in terms of Lausanne. It is the only district in Turkey that has dedicated a park to commemorate the Treaty of Lausanne and the Lausanne Conference. We are proud and happy about that. We are thrilled to host you here. The Treaty of Lausanne is one of the agreements in our history that the Republic of Turkey must remember and preserve, marking the moment when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades declared ‘I exist’ to the world in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.”

Prof. Dr. Arı: “The founding document of the Republic of Turkey”

Speaking at the celebration program, Prof. Dr. Kemal Arı remarked, “Lausanne is the deed of the Republic of Turkey and is very important in terms of Turkish history. It has a very special aspect related to my areas of study. My doctoral research in 1993 was on the subject of the population exchange, which is the first academic research conducted in Turkey on this topic. Lausanne has a very significant place in the founding process of the Republic of Turkey. We refer to it as the founding deed and document. Additionally, it is a document that resolved some issues that have persisted for centuries. Many issues concerning the Ottoman Empire, which led to its gradual decline, regarding economics, politics, and territories, were tied up on July 24, 1923, and resolved there.”

Prof. Dr. Arı emphasized that the treaty resolved long-standing issues, stating, “When Mustafa Kemal set foot on Anatolian soil in Samsun, his goal was very clear. That goal was directly related to Lausanne. The idea in Mustafa Kemal’s mind was to establish a new Turkish state based on national sovereignty without any conditions. He speaks of establishing a new independent Turkish state based on national sovereignty without any conditions. If a system is based on national sovereignty, it is called a Republic. He speaks of establishing a state where the sovereignty authority is in the hands of the nation. The imperialist impositions were what prevented the independence of the Ottoman Empire. So, when Mustafa Kemal came to Anatolia, he took on the national sovereignty struggle against both the Sultan and the Caliph, and he swore to subdue imperialism in the Anatolian steppes and came to this region. Lausanne is the place where the program of complete independence was crowned. There, it was either to be taken or the old habits and order would continue. From this perspective, Lausanne is very important.”

Many citizens, as well as ADD Samsun Branch President Birol Yelekin and representatives from political parties and civil society organizations, also attended the program held at the Hasan Ali Yücel Youth, Science and Art Center.