Proclamation of the Republic of Turkey

Proclamation of the Republic of Turkey
Date29 October 1923 (101 years ago) (1923-10-29)
Time20:30[1] (approx.) (TRT)
VenueGrand National Assembly of Turkey
LocationAnkara, Turkey
Also known asAdoption of Law No. 364, dated 29 October 1339[2]
Cause
  • Necessity to determine the form of governance for the state
  • Cabinet crisis arising from the resignation of the government on 27 October 1923
Outcome

The proclamation of the Republic of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti'nin ilanı), formally declared during the session of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on 29 October 1923, signifies the definitive establishment of Turkey's governance structure as a republic. This historic milestone was realized through the acceptance of a constitutional amendment proposal crafted by Mustafa Kemal Pasha.

In a broader sense, the proclamation of the republic was an integral part of the Atatürk's reforms aimed at modernizing Turkish society, constituting a political revolutionary movement that paves the way for various other renewal and reforms.[3]

Alongside the "Law Concerning the Amendment Pertaining to the Modification of Certain Provisions of the Turkish Constitution, No. 364, dated 29 October 1339 (1923)", amendments were made to six articles (1, 2, 4, 10, 11, and 12) of the Turkish Constitution of 1921; the first article was modified as follows:

"Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the Nation. The administrative method is based on the principle of the direct and actual administration of the people's affairs by the people themselves. The form of government of the Turkish state is a republic."

Changes made to other articles of the constitution established the presidency; it was envisaged that the president would be elected by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey from among its members, and the procedure for the formation of the government was altered. In terms of the government's organizational structure, a departure from the assembly government system occurred, transitioning to a parliamentary system.[4]

  1. ^ "Cumhuriyet'in ilanı ve Atatürk'ün Cumhurbaşkanı unvanıyla ilk konuşması AA Arşivi ve TBMM kayıtlarında". Anadolu Agency (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Teşkilât-ı Esasiye Kanunu'nun Bazı Mevadının Tavzihan Tâdiline dair Kanun" (PDF) (in Turkish). 1923. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  3. ^ Dinç, Sait. "Atatürkçü Düşünce Sistemine Göre Cumhuriyetçilik İlkesi" (PDF) (in Turkish). Çukurova Üniversitesi Türkoloji Araştırmaları Merkezi web sitesi, 1 Eylül 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  4. ^ Gözler, Kemal. "1921 Teşkilât-ı Esasîye Kanunu" (in Turkish). Bursa, Ekin Kitabevi Yayınları, 2000 say 44-55'ten alınmıştır. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.