The Ataturk Society UK (ASUK)organized a breakfast to celebrate the August 30 Victory Day at EV Restaurant in Southwark. Despite the holiday season, the event was attended by nearly 100 guests, and participants from various professions, as well as soloists from Neva Buselik and the Hoş Seda Choir, added colour to the event.
After the delicious breakfast prepared by Ev Restaurant, ASUK President Jale Özer said, “As the new board, we wanted to hold our first event during Victory Week,” and continued her speech as follows: “The meaning of the August 30 Victory must be understood very well. With this victory, the War of Independence was brought to an end, and the imperial powers of the time were defeated greatly thanks to Mustafa Kemal’s military genius, his endless faith in victory, his people and his cause, his determination and perseverance, the faith of the Turkish Nation and the Turkish soldiers in him, their devotion and courage. An unprecedented victory was won in world history. On the one hand, it was necessary to fight against the imperialist powers that had sworn to throw the Turks out of Anatolia, and on the other hand, the internal forces they financed, and the puppet Ottoman Government. In addition, we must not forget the armistice press and the opposition mandate groups in the Assembly. Despite these adverse conditions, Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal and his comrades-in-arms, together with the entire people of Anatolia, managed to win the greatest victory in world history.
ASUK President Jale Özer
“The ambitions of the imperial countries that were defeated 102 years ago to throw the Turks out of Anatolia are unfortunately still continuing at the fastest pace today. Today, the Ali Kemals and Said Mollas have been replaced by communities trying to bring back sharia, the second Republicans and the Istanbul government by collaborators. While the gains of the Republic are being emptied; mountains, streams, hills, forests, factories and banks are either being sold to foreigners or the ground is being prepared for them to be sold. Our homeland is virtually under occupation by a planned foreign invasion. Unfortunately, our country is losing its independence economically and politically. Since the secular education system has been emptied, violence and brutality have become a part of daily life and the human and moral values of the society are disappearing, and the society is rapidly running towards decay.
“April 23, May 19, August 30 and October 29 are the torches of the illuminated path towards enlightenment, the holidays that our nation celebrates with honor and pride. The importance of August 30 stands before us today with all its nakedness. Stopping the decay in every area of society depends on understanding the achievements of the Republic. August 30, 1922 is a turning point in the establishment of the modern, secular Republic of Turkey. No matter how hard the imperialist powers and their collaborators in Turkey try, this Republic, once accepted with admiration by all countries, respected, reliable, in good relations with its neighbors; economically, socially and politically independent, making women equal individuals in society and granting them rights superior to those of women in many European countries; established as a modern, secular and social state governed by the rule of law, will be resurrected.
“With this awareness, on this 30th of August; we respectfully and gratefully commemorate the founder of our Republic, our Eternal Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who personally led the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief for the independent and bright future of the Republic of Turkey, and all our martyrs and veterans who sacrificed their lives for their homeland, and we celebrate and honour the 102nd anniversary of the August 30th Victory Day of the valuable members of the Turkish People and the Turkish Armed Forces.
“I would like to end my speech by saying, as Falih Rıfkı Atay said; “Whatever we have, if we have established an independent state, if we have become citizens, if we walk around like honorable people, if we have saved our country from the clutches of the West, our conscience and mind from the clutches of the East, if we look at these seas as ours, if we feel the warmth of our mother’s heart in these lands and breathe, we owe it all, everything to the August 30 Victory. ”
Later, ASUK Vice President Dr. Ali Tekin Atalar made a speech and said, “… We did not win this Republic easily. No matter how many negative situations there are in our country these days, as our Great Ata said, ‘there is no hopeless situation, there are hopeless people. ‘ We will not lose our hope together and we will protect the gains of the Republic.”
ASUK Public Relations and Events Officer Fusun Kent also said in her speech: “As Nazim Hikmet said, Victory Day is not only the holiday of the Turkish nation but of all humanity. We showed the whole world that this is possible by defeating the colonialists and imperialists with our struggle for independence.”
In the continuation of the program, Dr. Asım Çeliktürk, founder and teacher of Neva Buselik Choir, played and sang ‘Atatürk’s Favorite Songs’. Later, Opera singers Sibel Demir and Hatice Yılmaz accompanied Asım Bey and increased the enthusiasm of Zafer in the hall even more.
The program ended with all participants singing the Izmir March.
