OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM IS THE SOURCE OF PRIDE OF TURKISH NATION
Assoc. Prof. Murat Hatipoğlu made the opening speech of the panel that took place in IUE Conference Hall and stated that our National Anthem and its poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy should be well understood. Hatipoğlu said “In order to really understand the Independence March, one should examine the period that it was accepted and the conditions of the War of Independence. Independence March is the scream of a struggle, a victory, a determination, a nation that never gives up freedom.”
Prof. Dr. Ergün Aybars stated that the word Independence told many things about the war and its reason and said, “Questioning Mehmet Akif’s patriotism and his devotion to War of Independence and Republic by exemplifying his conservative nature and his going abroad for disapproving the hat reform means not understanding him and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk which he called 'the greatest leader’. Mehmet Akif never delivered a negative opinion about these either in or outside the country. And Mustafa Kemal Atatürk never adopted a negative attitude for him. Moreover, in 1933 he immediately rejected the proposal to change the national anthem.”
Assoc. Prof. Yasemin Doğaner told the acceptance process of the Independence March and said “After Turkish Grand National Assembly decided to have an Independence March, a competition with 500 lira award was organized. However, a poet who had not reached his maturity, Mehmet Akif Ersoy did not take place in this competition because he thought that this poem could not be written in a competition with a monetary award. When 724 poems sent to the commission were not approved, Minister of Education Hamdullah Suphi sent a message to Mehmet Akif and told him that monetary award problem could be solved and he wanted him to join the competition. Mehmet Akif wrote the poem in a few days in February 1921. It is read in the Assembly in March 23. Six more poems were chosen. The discussions continued in the session on March. It is accepted unanimously in March 12. Other six poems were never read. Later, it was set to music and became one of the unchangeable items of the constitution.”
Dr. Vefa Kurban drew attention to the historical cooperation between the Turkish and Azeri people in terms of the War of Independence and Independence March and said “While the War of Independence was about to take place in Anatolia the Bolshevik Russians and Armenians slew 12 thousand people in Baku on March 18, 1918. Turkish nation, which is always with Azerbaijan, sent troops to this war at the risk of weakening their front line and ended this cruelty. In the War of Independence Azerbaijan supported Ankara physically and militarily. Azerbaijan was always respectful to its Independence War and its Independence March. And it accepted the concept One Nation two States."
