Turkish Education Minister's War of Independence Remarks Spark Union Backlash

Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin has sparked controversy by questioning the historical narrative of the War of Independence, asking "what are we liberating ourselves from?" He also suggested that the Ottoman Empire preceded the Republic. These statements have ignited a strong backlash from education unions.

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This is an expression of chronic allergy to Atatürk's principles and revolutions, a deliberate and ideological move aimed at dismantling the Republic's founding will.

Kadem Özbay, the General Chairman of Eğitim-İş, condemned Tekin's remarks as an "ideological move aimed at dismantling the Republic's founding will." He stated that these comments reflect the ruling AKP government's unfiltered view of the Republic and Atatürk, accusing them of gradually eroding educational policies over 24 years to align with imperialist interests.

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We liberated ourselves from Western imperialism and capitulations that partitioned the country and exploited the people.

Özbay countered Tekin's questioning by detailing what Turkey was liberated from: Western imperialism and capitulations that partitioned the country and exploited its people; the sultanate that viewed the populace as subjects and prioritized its dynasty; and the palace regime that declared the Anatolian people resisting occupation as "rebels." He emphasized that the War of Independence signifies a people's transition from an ummah to a nation and from servitude to citizenship, guided by reason and science.

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The Republic is not a continuation of a collapsed regime; it is an enlightenment revolution carried out under the guidance of reason and science.

Özbay further criticized Tekin's timing, calling it a "stark contradiction" given NATO's presence in Turkey. He accused the government of attempting to erase the War of Independence from curricula and minds to avoid tarnishing its relationship with imperialist powers and to suppress anti-imperialist consciousness in future generations. He asserted that these curriculum changes serve the government's agenda to shape the cognitive map of future generations according to its ideology, transforming schools into laboratories for its dominant ideology rather than centers of modern education.

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Today, while the imperialist war machine of NATO countries is making a show of force in our country; Minister Tekin's asking 'what did we liberate ourselves from?' is a contradiction to be observed.