Presidency's Director of Communications of the Republic of Türkiye, Fahrettin Altun, penned an article titled "From Independence to the Future: Century of Türkiye" on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic.
In his article, Director of Communications Altun noted that 100 years ago, against those who wanted to bury in history our 900-year existence on the Anatolian lands, our people, with the last of their strength, after long battles such as Çanakkale or Kutul-Amare, began a national struggle and brought it to victory, and said, "The Republic of Türkiye, built in the spirit of independence, is a great work of the spirit of unity and solidarity, which led our struggle for independence to victory, which includes many stages and struggles."
Indicating that with the proclamation of the formation of the Republic of Türkiye, a period of comprehensive revival began—from education to the economy—Director of Communications stated that, during this period, the foundations of many of their successes were laid, of which Türkiye was proud in the world. Director of Communications Altun pointed out that agriculture, industry, education, healthcare, transport, democratic rights and freedoms, as well as many other areas that will raise the standard of living of our nation, were literally mobilised so that the Turkish nation and the Turkish state could stand on their own feet, and continued: "Our nation has proudly brought our Republic to its 100th anniversary, having survived many troubles and overcome many great obstacles one after another. Over the past 20 years, thanks to the accumulation of the centuries-old history of the Republic and the vision put forward by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the doors of the new century have been opened to properly reward the efforts and sacrifices that our people have made for the independence and future of Türkiye. To enable our country to achieve its objectives, our nation to realise its dreams, and to create a great and powerful Türkiye, innumerable revolutionary works, services, and investments have been implemented in all areas. In this sense, the national will and democracy have been bolstered. Our beloved people were ensured to have the opportunity to live safely on their native land, to live in peace today and to look forward to the future with hope. In addition, thanks to the progress made in production and employment thanks to infrastructure investments throughout the country, the economy grew, and our country was enriched together with all its members. Thanks to the expansion of production, access to jobs in all spheres – from industry to agriculture – has become easier. With the understanding, “Let people live so that the state lives”, social support was increased, and all our citizens in need were covered. Additionally, a significant reform has been achieved with the introduction of the Presidential System of Government, offering an answer to a quest dating back two centuries. The strength of our State, the glory of our flag and the prestige of our nation have been increased through the adoption of an active and effective security policy, as well as an entrepreneurial and humanitarian approach to foreign policy.''
Noting that these initiatives, which accelerated the success of Türkiye in many fields – from healthcare to education, from technology to the defence industry, from foreign policy to culture and art – were not achieved easily, Altun said that despite the pandemics and wars that have shaken the global governance and economic system to its foundations, they have fought hard to prepare Türkiye for a major breakthrough on its strong infrastructure. Director of Communications Altun said, ''We have fought against many threats that have attacked our borders and jeopardised the safety of the life and property of the Turkish people. Aside from the global crises, we turned the double standards and embargoes we faced as a country into opportunities and increased our power in every field. Overcoming all these obstacles, we have carried out our revolutions one after another in the field of democracy and development. Undoubtedly, the fruits of Türkiye’s recent breakthroughs have begun to appear in all areas, from education to healthcare, security to justice, transport to energy, agriculture to sports. These breakthroughs will eliminate the shortcomings of the first century of the Republic and complete preparations for the second century. Türkiye has become a growing, developing, strengthening, and enriching country, one where its people can look forward to the future with hope and where it is followed, rather than follows, on the world stage."
Indicating that as the world undergoes a historic transformation and faces new and urgent challenges, this anniversary is more than just a change in the calendar marking the beginning of the second century of the state, and has a deeper meaning, Fahrettin Altun noted that, with this understanding, they have called the breakthrough that will bring the Republic to the level dreamed by the nation in the political, economic, social, and diplomatic fields the “Century of Türkiye".
Altun went on to say, ''This breakthrough is our greatest legacy, which we will build on all the achievements of our country and civilisation and leave to future generations. With our “Century of Türkiye” programme, we are entering the 100th anniversary of our Republic with great hopes and goals together with our people. In this direction, firstly, we will preserve the achievements of our country, brought by great sacrifices and efforts. Nevertheless, we will strengthen the will of our country to have a voice and make decisions at the global level. By increasing our political and economic power, we will continue to rise to the top among the largest economies in the world. With the support of our nation, we will establish peace in every corner of our homeland and foster the will for development. We will provide each of our citizens with the rights, freedoms and prosperity they deserve. We are determined to turn the second century of our Republic into an “era of progress, not compensation.” With this motivation and under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we will keep working tirelessly with the vision of the Century of Türkiye to propel our country forward in every field and ensure that our august homeland—the legacy of our ancestors—stands forever.''
Stating that Türkiye bids farewell to its first century of challenges and achievements, Türkiye's Director of Communications said, "We commemorate with gratitude and mercy our martyrs and veterans, most notably Ghazi Mustafa Kemal, the Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder of our Republic, who sacrificed their lives to turn this land into a homeland, and we also honour the national struggle's spearheads, who fought heroically and helped the country rise from its ashes. We commemorate with mercy, gratitude, and appreciation all our heroes who left us this homeland where we can live freely."