History

The Organization of the State and the Reforms

After the National War of Independence was won, and national sovereignty and borders were secured through the Lausanne Treaty, it was time to determine the form and organization of the state. Mustafa Kemal joined the Anatolia and Rumelia "Mudafaa-i Hukuk Cemiyetleri" (Resistance Associations) which were established during the war and founded the Cumhuriyet Halk Firkasi (Republican People's Party)(CHP) of which he became the general chairman. The military-civilian bureaucrats of the National War of Independence were active in the management of the party. The aim of the CHP was to modernize the country basing it on the western model, its institutions and life-style.

The Republic was proclaimed on 29 October, 1923 in order to give the state a democratic form in the contemporary sense and this was the most important of the reforms. Mustafa Kemal, the leader of the national struggle for independence was elected unanimously as the first President of the Republic of Turkey . He appointed Ismet Pasha (Inönü) as the first Prime Minister. These developments, however, disturbed the conservative elements in the National Assembly. There was the issue that the institutions and the responsibilities of the Caliphate would be contradictory to the new state and it would be necessary to make radical reforms. The TGNA abolished the Caliphate four months after the declaration of the Republic, for it was not in conformity with the principle of republicanism and would be a hindrance to the implementation of the reforms. The members of the Ottoman Dynasty were exiled according to a decision taken at the TGNA on the 3rd of March 1924.

Mustafa Kemal's basic aim was to establish a modern nation and a modern society. It was necessary to separate religious and state affairs, and to provide freedom of religion and conscience for individuals to attain this end. Thus the principle of secularity would be the most important change implemented. Therefore, the Prime Ministry of Shariah and Foundations was replaced by the Directorate of Religious Affairs and the Directorate of Foundations, both attached to the Prime Ministry. The religious school system was abolished with the Unification of Education Law and all the schools and educational matters were put under the Ministry of National Education. The Shariah Courts were replaced by secular courts under the Judicial Organization Law. The wearing of the turban and fez that were the symbols of the former order were banned and the "hat" became the official headgear, following the promulgation of the Hat Law on November 25, 1925. The international hour and calendar systems were adopted on November 26, 1925. The dervish lodges and tombs were closed and the titles of tariqahs (sects) were abolished on 25 November 1925. A Turkish Civil Code was accepted on February 17, 1926, replacing the old civil code and the Shariah Laws which were the foundation stones of Ottoman law. The Code of Obligations, the Criminal Code and the Commercial Code were also rewritten according to contemporary principles.

Important steps were taken concerning women's rights. Polygamy was forbidden and marriages, to be officially recognized, had to be performed in accordance with the civil code, not according to religious ceremonies, as in the past. Also, a law was promulgated which made it necessary to get a court decree to get a divorce. Women obtained the right to vote and be elected in municipal elections in 1930, in elections held for village councils in 1933 and in 1934, they obtained the right to vote and be elected to the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

One of the most important reforms was the preparation of a new Turkish alphabet by a board of linguists and academicians. The law which envisaged the use of the Latin script was adopted by the TGNA on November 1, 1928. The old units of weights and measurement were changed in 1931. Commercial and economic transactions were facilitated with the acceptance of the metric system and a standard system of measurement was established throughout Turkey .

The Surname Law was adopted on 21 June 1934. Mustafa Kemal, the founder of the new Turkish Republic , was given the surname, "Atatürk" (Father of the Turks) by the TGNA.

An amendment made to the Constitution in 1928 removed the clause which had stated that the religion of the state was Islam. A clause was put in the Constitution in 1937 stating that Turkey is a secular state. Along with these developments, Atatürk established the Turkish Historical Society in 1925 and Turkish Linguistic Society in 1932, in order to strengthen the foundations of the new national state and contribute to the development of a national consciousness among the Turkish people.