CELEBRATING IS GOOD, BUT QUESTIONING IS ESSENTIAL!

Written by Kemal Albayrak, Member of the 20th and 21st Terms of the Turkish Parliament representing Kırıkkale…

Celebrating national and religious holidays and commemorating our past is certainly a good thing. But shouldn’t we also question the present by comparing it with the past? As we celebrate the 103rd anniversary of the Republic, why do we avoid asking the question: “Where were we, and where are we now?”

Nevruz celebrates peace, solidarity and a shared sense of destiny alongside the awakening of nature. Shouldn’t we also evaluate the 103-year history of our Republic in light of the present, considering both its achievements and shortcomings? Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to question the meaning and future of the Republic by comparing not only our past with today but also our country with others?

The Republic is not merely a change of political system; it represents a transformation in every aspect of life. So, how has this transformation shaped the country we live in today? Can there be peace and security in a country where evil has become commonplace, while political leaders walking arm in arm becomes a major public talking point?

Can a system of government still be called a Republic when conscience and compassion are replaced by loyalty, and national sovereignty gives way to palace rule?

In a country dominated by economic plunder, institutional decay, lawlessness, injustice and favoritism, where public assets are turned into instruments of personal gain, what kind of Republic are we celebrating?

In his book The Road to Serfdom, Hayek explains how concentrating economic decisions in the hands of a central authority destroys individual freedoms. Is this the legacy of the Republic after 103 years, in a country where freedoms are eroding and people sell their principles for careers, profit and fame?

Was this the legacy envisioned in the article by Prof. Dr. Hayrettin İvgin, which describes the difficulties and suffering involved in the transition from dynastic rule to the Republic? Where is the political will to defend the values of a Republic that rejects inherited privilege and offers equal opportunities to everyone?

Isn’t the following statement by Prof. Dr. Doğu Ergil still relevant today?

“The Republic is the recognition that the country belongs to no single person; democracy is the recognition that no individual is indispensable.”

Can the meaning of the Republic and democracy be preserved in a country where the rule of law, justice and freedom are being eroded?

As Osman Aydoğan warned in his article dated October 30, 2021, can the Republic and democracy survive if the Turkish Grand National Assembly loses its function, the identity of the nation is reduced to ethnicity, differences are excluded, independence and secularism are undermined, and the rule of law is destroyed?

Celebrating the Republic means not only remembering the past but also thinking about the future. Quality and science-based education, production, prosperity, equal opportunities, freedom, justice, transparency and the ethics of living together should be the fundamental goals of the Republic.

Liberation requires hard work; nation-building demands dedication. Keeping the Republic alive requires reason, science, law, democracy and ethical governance.

Celebrating the Republic is not enough; we must also preserve it and question its course.

Celebrations built on false appearances and injustice can never amount to anything more than empty displays.

Kemal Albayrak

September 1, 2026