Glossary.
Key terms, institutions, and concepts in Kemalist thought and the history of the Turkish Republic.
Principles
Republicanism
Cumhuriyetçilik
The first of the Six Arrows. Asserts that sovereignty belongs to the nation, exercised through elected representatives rather than a monarch or religious authority.
Secularism
Laiklik
Separation of religious institutions from state governance, derived from the French laïcité. Mandates that law and policy are based on reason and science, not religious doctrine.
Populism
Halkçılık
Equality before the law and rejection of class-based privilege. In the Kemalist sense, it means no individual or group holds inherent superiority over another.
Nationalism
Milliyetçilik
Civic and territorial nationalism defining the Turkish nation as all citizens within the republic’s borders, regardless of ethnic origin. Distinct from Pan-Turkism.
Statism
Devletçilik
Active state role in the economy, especially in sectors where private capital is insufficient. Pragmatic rather than ideological, private enterprise was permitted alongside state enterprises.
Revolutionism
Devrimcilik
Commitment to continuous modernization and defense of reforms against reactionary movements. Sometimes translated as reformism. The republic would not reach a fixed endpoint but continue to evolve.
Institutions
Republican People’s Party
CHP (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi)
Founded by Atatürk in 1923, the CHP is Turkey’s oldest political party. It adopted the Six Arrows as its official principles in 1931 and governed as the sole party until 1946.
Grand National Assembly of Turkey
TBMM (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi)
Turkey’s parliament, first convened on April 23, 1920 in Ankara. Served as the organizational center of the independence movement and became the supreme organ of state power.
Directorate of Religious Affairs
Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı
State institution that administers mosques, trains and appoints imams, and regulates religious education. Established in 1924 as part of the secularization reforms.
Turkish Language Association
Türk Dil Kurumu
Founded in 1932 to carry out the language reform. Worked to replace Arabic and Persian loanwords with Turkish equivalents and to standardize the written language.
Turkish Historical Society
Türk Tarih Kurumu
Founded in 1931 to research and write Turkish history from a national perspective. Part of the broader project of constructing a shared civic identity for the new republic.
Concepts
Revolution / Reform
İnkılap
The Kemalist term for the sweeping transformations of the 1920s and 1930s. Implies a fundamental break with the old order, not merely incremental change. Distinguished from ihtilal (violent uprising).
Caliphate
Hilafet
The institution of Islamic political-religious leadership, held by Ottoman sultans from 1517. Abolished by the Grand National Assembly on March 3, 1924, separating religious authority from the state.
Nation / Community
Millet
In Ottoman usage, a religious community with internal self-governance. In Kemalist usage, redefined as the civic nation, all citizens of the republic regardless of origin.
National Pact
Misak-ı Millî
Declaration adopted in 1920 defining the territorial boundaries of the Turkish homeland. Became the foundational document of the independence movement and the basis for the Treaty of Lausanne.
Contemporary Civilization
Muasır Medeniyet
Atatürk’s frequently invoked goal: to raise Turkey to the level of contemporary civilization. The guiding aspiration behind modernization reforms in law, education, and social life.
Full Independence
Tam Bağımsızlık
Complete sovereignty, political, economic, military, and judicial, free from foreign control. A core Kemalist principle, rejecting the capitulations and concessions of the Ottoman era.
The Six Arrows
Altı Ok
The six foundational principles of Kemalism: Republicanism, Nationalism, Populism, Statism, Secularism, and Revolutionism. Adopted by the CHP in 1931 and added to the constitution in 1937.
Documents & Events
The Great Speech
Nutuk
Atatürk’s 36-hour speech delivered to the CHP congress in 1927, recounting the independence struggle from 1919 to 1927. A foundational document of Turkish republican history.
Amasya Circular
Amasya Genelgesi
Issued on June 22, 1919, declaring that the nation’s independence was in danger and calling for a national congress. Considered the first official step of the independence movement.
Treaty of Lausanne
Lozan Antlaşması
Signed on July 24, 1923, replacing the Treaty of Sèvres and establishing Turkey’s modern borders with full sovereignty. Recognized the Turkish Republic as an independent state.
Hat Law
Şapka Kanunu
Enacted in 1925, banning the fez and encouraging Western-style hats. Part of a broader set of social reforms aimed at modernizing public life and reducing visible markers of Ottoman tradition.
Law of Unification of Education
Tevhid-i Tedrisat Kanunu
Passed on March 3, 1924, placing all educational institutions under the Ministry of Education. Closed religious medreses and established a unified, secular national education system.
Surname Law
Soyadı Kanunu
Enacted in 1934, requiring all Turkish citizens to adopt fixed family surnames. Previously, Ottoman naming conventions varied by region and community. The Assembly granted Mustafa Kemal the surname "Atatürk."
Civil Code
Medeni Kanun
Adopted in 1926, based on the Swiss Civil Code. Replaced Ottoman family law, banned polygamy, made civil marriage mandatory, and granted women equal rights in divorce and inheritance.
Alphabet Reform
Harf Devrimi
The 1928 transition from Arabic script to a Latin-based Turkish alphabet. Atatürk personally promoted the new letters in public demonstrations across the country.