Liberal Republic is the Song
While Republic of Turkey today celebrates its 81st anniversary, Zaman asked various people about their understanding of republic concept.
Turkish people unify on that a republic is the most modern way of governing. In the core of the thoughts, love of country, peace, democracy, human rights, respect for belief and thought, acceptance of people as they are and that all these are the designs and rings to unite at the common values voiced by the society.
Bulent Arinc (Speaker of the Parliament)
He says main goal of Republic is to make Turkey a prosper country and people happy as well as strengthen the State. Arinc says however that this goal has not been reached yet. In order to overcome the issues, a brand new political concept, a new vision for Turkey and a historic transformation are required according to the Speaker.
Fethullah Gülen
Ideal republic is the name of a system that depends on a concept of a real freedom and justice and carries universal humanitarian values to government. It is more important that people call the system republic because of putting the entities included in the definition into practice in their own lives rather than administrative mechanisms claiming the system that they represent and naming it as republic. In religious perspective, if the republic is self-governing of the people and their electing own representatives, Kuran-I Kerim (Holy Quran) introduced this first. Therefore, if it is not on purpose to show that public will is opposite to Quran, then it is due to lack of knowledge.
I.Bartholomeos (Fener Greek Patriarch)
Republic and democracy is the last station on the journey of civilization. Turkey had led to innumerable other countries by adopting republic regime before many other states in the world. Leaving 81 years behind, the Republican regime matures and develops every day. Republic established with sacrifices is the guarantee of the unity and future of the citizens.
Faruk Sarac (Fashion Designer)
We love Republic because we are free. We are living in an abundant country and within freedoms. The regime in which the most beautiful country and the most beautiful people live in is a republic.
Nur Yilmaz (7th grade student)
If a society is able to elect its representative to govern itself, it means different views are together. For this reason, republic is valuable and must be preserved. We, youth, are the ones who will protect it. (Hasan Bozkurt, Alper Sancar)
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