Ataturk’s words honouring foreign soldiers who have fallen in Gallipoli.
By Ambassador Kerim Uras
The morning was crisp in the inner highlands of Western Anatolia on 26 August 1922, when the Turkish army launched its final offensive against the occupation forces upon the order of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, one of the brightest commanders and greatest leaders of the 20th century
After years of warfare, the Ottoman Empire was on the verge of collapse at the end of the First World War. Rising like a phoenix from its ashes, the end of the tough path to Turkey’s independence was finally realized. A few days after a knockout blow against the occupation forces on August 30, 1922, Ataturk’s forces liberated the Aegean city of Izmir. The Turkish War of Independence was won and the first stage of national struggle for sovereignty and freedom was finalized.
This month we celebrate the 99th anniversary of this historical turning point and we remember the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for their homeland.
Building the Future: Peace at Home, Peace in the World
“Now we can move on to the diplomatic stage,” Ataturk said after the victory. The Lausanne Peace Treaty sealed independence and international recognition. The proclamation of the Republic on October 29, 1923 followed this diplomatic success.
Ataturk’s words honouring foreign soldiers who have fallen in Gallipoli.
Ataturk was a visionary. The next step was to elevate the new republic among the respected members of the community of nations as a modern, secular and prosperous country. Meanwhile, the new republic focused on intense diplomacy, tried to prevent wars and form partnerships based upon Ataturk’s motto: “Peace at Home, Peace in the World.”
This approach emphasized the importance of cooperation over competition, and the burying of past disputes for a common future. It was so successful that former bitter adversaries, Ataturk and Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, were able to open a new era in the Turkish-Greek relations. In fact, Venizelos later nominated Ataturk to the Nobel Peace Prize in 1934.
Enterprising and Humanitarian Foreign Policy
The Republic of Turkey will celebrate its centennial in 2023. Today, Turkey aims to raise the standards of peace and prosperity at home, and reinforce its contributions to its neighbourhood and beyond. Ataturk’s vision continues to guide us.
We are going through volatile times in international relations. Multilateralism and the rules-based international order are undermined. Terrorism, climate change, Islamophobia, racism, extreme poverty, and forced migration are only some of the threats. Meanwhile, Turkey is located in a neighbourhood where political, economic, social and humanitarian challenges are intertwined.
Turkey fights against terror in all its forms without any discrimination. DAESH, PKK/YPG/SDF and the sinister “Gulenist” cult, proscribed as the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) which attempted the heinous 15 July 2016 coup against the Turkish democracy, are among these terror groups.
Heroes resting in eternal peace
Such a complex setting requires a visionary approach and a robust stance. Turkey’s inherent advantages emanate from its profound history, deep-rooted diplomacy culture, young and educated demography, and dynamic economy.
Turkey recently hosted the Antalya Diplomacy Forum with the theme "Innovative Diplomacy: New Era, New Approaches". It became a platform where the heart of global diplomacy beat. During its opening, President Erdogan underlined that “there is no shaking hands with clenched fists. The most effective way to loosen these clenched fists remains to be diplomacy.” Turkey’s enterprising and humanitarian foreign policy is based on this understanding.
With the fifth largest diplomatic network, today Turkish diplomacy focuses on problem solving in every corner of the world. Turkey is present across the globe also with institutions such as the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), Yunus Emre Institute, Turkish Maarif Foundation, Turkish Red Crescent and Turkish Airlines.
Turkey is a leader in the humanitarian field. It is the number one refugee hosting country in the world. We have been hosting more than 4 million people in need, mostly Syrians. We also extend a helping hand to more than 5 million people who are trying to hold on to life just beyond our border.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Turkey offered international help and sent medical supplies to many other countries and international organizations. Meanwhile, we ensured that the refugees in Turkey had access to the same high-quality health services as our citizens.
Turkey-Canada Partnership
Through this humanitarian and enterprising foreign policy, Turkey positioned itself as an influential and reliable actor. We are shouldering more than our fair share in crisis management and security building. In this endeavour, we need like-minded partners.
A high-level gathering of political leaders, diplomats, opinion makers and academics.
In 2023, we will also celebrate the 80th anniversary of Turkey-Canada diplomatic relations. Our relations have a deeper history though, including the Royal Newfoundland Regiment’s participation in the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. The Gallipoli campaign is an example of turning tragedies of war into friendship. Later, during the Korean War, under the UN banner, and more recently in Afghanistan as part of the NATO led ISAF mission, Turkey and Canada have fought together to defend democratic ideals.
Today’s global and regional challenges make the Turkish-Canadian cooperation crucial. We have common goals and mutual interests with our NATO ally Canada. NATO has been vital for our collective security. Turkey has successfully protected NATO’s borders, upheld its values and principles, and been among the top contributors to the alliance and its operations.
Besides our long-standing alliance, we also enjoy cooperation on multilateral platforms like the UN, G20, OSCE and OECD. Canada and Turkey are defenders of the rules-based international system and the international law. We have further potential to contribute to more effective global governance, and strengthen the links between political stability, economic welfare and cultural harmony. We will continue working together with Canada towards this vision.
Victory of Democracy: On the night of 15 July 2016, the Turkish nation united in solidarity and defended democracy.
