Jale Özer
THE Federation of Turkish Associations UK and the Ataturk society UK President Jale Özer, shared a letter she wrote in celebration of the 96th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne.
In her letter Özer write of the historical development and past events, highlighting the importance of the agreement for contemporary Turkey.
Özer wrote: “As it is known, the First World War started in 1914 and ended in 1918 between the “German Empire, Austria-Hungary Empire, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria” and the Entente States “England, France, Italy, Russia and Greece”. When Tsarist Russia was destroyed by the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, Russia was out of war when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was established. As it is known again, the Entente states defeated the alliance states. The Ottoman state was also defeated and had to ask for a cease-fire. On October 30, 1918, the Armistice of Mondros was invaded and occupied by the SEVR Treaty. But this was the result of the Treaty of Lausanne, which was crowned with the success of the Turkish War of Independence written by the heroic Turkish Armed Forces under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk…
It should not be forgotten that; this struggle for freedom and independence, which we have won with very difficult conditions, is the greatest proof that we will not submit to all kinds of imperial games. We believe and say: the Turkish nation with such a history is desperate to be desperate. However, we can come out of this dark situation by turning to the founding philosophy of the Republic, by protecting the principle of secularism, Atatürk’s principles and revolutions and the principle of ‘Peace at Home Peace in the World’ can be made by making it our main principle again.
We have grown with the gains of our Republic, we have always known the honour of the deed of this country and we have always defended. We will continue to defend against religious sellers in cooperation with imperialists.”