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The Gazi gathered around his table in Çankaya Fethi, Ismet and some generals
and Members of Parliament whom he knew well. In the course of that memorable
dinner their host remarked : "Tomorrow we will proclaim a republic."
Since all guests were supporters of the democratic regime, they applauded his
decision. Each of them was initiated into the role he would have to play on
that historic day. The decision had been taken at the right time, since suspiciouns
of what might happen were already awakened; on the other hand, the absence of
the four discontented generals, and also Rauf, Adnan and other leaders, would
make the task easier.
On the morning of the 29th, there was a meeting of the parliamentary group
of People's Party, under the Presidency of Ali Fethi, to discuss the list of
candidates. No agreement could be reached, so that a motion was accepted asking
that the Gazi, in his position as President of the party, should be given the
task of resolving the problem. The Gazi came to the meeting, and asked for an
hour in order to present the means of solution that he had found. During that
time he interviewed those people whom it was necessary to inform of the events
which were to follow immediately.
Returning to the party meeting, he mounted the platform, and declaring his
conviction that the system in operation was the cause of the difficulties which
occured every time it was necessary to form a cabinet. He was submitting a plan
for the party's approval to remedy this defect in the system. He came down from
the platform and gave the motion to one of the secretaries for him to read aloud.
Those who were not in the secret heard not the names of the possible commissars,
but a modification of the Constitutional Law. To its first article there was
simply added the following : "The form of government of the Turkish state
is the republic." In other articles, it was established that the President
of the Republic should be elected by the Assembly from its own members, and
that it was possible for him to be reelected; he would have the right of presiding
over the Assembly and the Council of Ministers. From among the Assembly's members
he would choose a Prime Minister who would form the cabinet.
Four and a half hours of discussion were needed to approve the modifications
proposed. The session of the Assembly opened at 6 o'clock in the evening. Some
unimportant matters were dealt with, while awating the report of the commission
on the Constitutional Law, which was favourable; only one phrase was added :
"The religion of the Turkish state is Islam." Ismet Pasa, who was
acting as President of the Assembly, proposed the vote to amend the law, and
this was carried.
Thus the Republic was born in Turkey on the 29th of October 1923. The official
name of the state was to be : "The Republic of Turkey".
Immediately afterwards, the Assembly was asked to elect the President of the
Republic; it could be no other than the man who had been exercising the chief
magistracy of the state since its foundation. This transcendental event was
announced to the people that night by a 101-gunsalute; Ismet formed the first
republican cabinet."
From : "Atatürk" by Jorge Blanco Villalta, translated from Spanish
by William Campbell
Türk Tarih Kurumu Basimevi, Ankara, 1991, pp.336-337
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