Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, was commemorated with respect and gratitude at an event held at Tarsus University on the 88th anniversary of his passing. The commemoration program, which took place on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, began with a ceremony held in front of the Atatürk bust on the university’s main campus. Following a moment of silence held at 9:05 a.m. in honor of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish National Anthem was sung.

The commemorative events continued with a conference exploring Atatürk’s intellectual legacy and the founding philosophy of the Republic, as well as an exhibition focusing on the life of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his place in the history of the Republic. As part of these events, an online conference titled “Atatürk and Turkish Modernization” was held, featuring Prof. Dr. Hikmet Öksüz—a full member of the Scientific Board of the Atatürk Cultural, Language, and History Higher Council and a faculty member in the Department of History at Karadeniz Technical University—as the guest speaker, and moderated by Aykut Elmas, a research assistant in the Department of History at Tarsus University.

At the conference, Prof. Dr. Hikmet Öksüz, who examined the historical relationship between Turkish modernization and the process of establishing the Republic through the lens of the War of Independence, characterized the proclamation of the Republic as the beginning of the transformation aimed at achieving the Turkish nation’s will for independence, as well as changes in the political, social, and cultural spheres. He emphasized that to fully understand the establishment of the Republic in all its aspects, one must examine the conditions under which the War of Independence was waged and the sacrifices made by the Turkish nation during this process.

Referring to the social consequences of the years of the National Struggle, Öksüz drew attention to the severe effects that the war period—which lasted approximately ten years, beginning with the Balkan Wars—had on an entire generation. Noting that the losses caused by the wars were felt in every aspect of social life, Öksüz stated, “An entire generation grew up largely without fathers. ‘For about 10 years, starting with the Balkan Wars, this nation wore a shirt of fire and was tested by fire,’ he said. He stated that the goal of the founding of the Republic was not only to ensure the survival of a nation that had paid a heavy price but also to secure an honorable future for it.

Öksüz, who also assessed the reforms and development policies implemented following the founding of the Republic, highlighted the importance of the efforts made in the areas of industrialization and economic development, particularly during the 1930s. Noting that transformations in the fields of education and culture were also among the fundamental elements of the modernization process, Prof. Dr. Öksüz stated that regulations such as the Law on the Unification of Education should be considered in conjunction with policies aimed at development and enlightenment throughout Anatolia. Emphasizing the responsibility young people bear in passing on the Republic to future generations, Öksüz said that Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had entrusted an important mission to the generations that would ensure the Republic’s perpetuity. Noting that understanding Atatürk and grasping the ideals he put forth are among the fundamental conditions for being worthy of this legacy, Prof. Dr. Hikmet Öksüz stated that Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk spent his 57-year life struggling to elevate the Turkish nation to a position of honor within the family of humanity.

At the end of his speech, Prof. Dr. Hikmet Öksüz recalled Atatürk’s remarks regarding the Taurus Mountains and the Yörük region during the years of the War of Independence, saying, “Go and look at the Taurus Mountains; if you see even a single Yörük tent there, and if smoke is rising from that tent, know this very well: no power or force in this world can ever defeat us,” he quoted. Continuing his speech addressed to the participants at Tarsus University, Öksüz concluded the conference by saying, “In essence, I am sending my greetings and respects from the Black Sea to that Yörük homeland, the Taurus Mountains, and our Mediterranean.”