The 2023 J.U.C. Media, Research & Writing Awards | Submitted Category: WRITING/Türkiye100
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The 2023 J.U.C. Media, Research & Writing Awards
Submitted Category: WRITING/Türkiye100
Sub-Category: Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Republic of Turkiye
Submission Code: W1/TR100
Student age: 16 | Grade: 11 | Word count: 1226

PEACE AT HOME, PEACE IN THE WORLD

[The 2023 J.U.C Awards, LMGlobal.Org]
All over the world, one might see carefully crafted marble busts depicting world leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk above the glossy golden words of the most seminal quotes of time, “peace at home, peace in the world”.

This maxim is included in the Turkish Constitution, which enshrines the prospect of global cohesion as The Republic of Türkiye’s foreign policy and definitive mission.1 The quote does not limit itself to geographical borders, but addresses peace beyond Türkiye, peace for the entire world.

We must acknowledge the historical significance of this quote for a thorough understanding. The exact context in which these words left the mouth of great leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in front of thousands of engaged, hopeful listeners is evidence of its importance. The emergent Republic of Türkiye had much to do during the Kemalist regime, which would later be known as an era of expeditive social, political, and industrial reform, a “revolution of enlightenment” and modernization.2 To succeed in these goals, the newly-formed Republican People’s Party had to reach every corner of Anatolia and cultivate education and modern thinking, among other ambitious reformatory policies. It is in these early years of the republic during his tours of Anatolia that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk proclaimed “To describe the stable and general diplomatic policy of the Republican People’s Party, I think this short sentence is enough: We work for peace at home, peace in the world.” and without a doubt was met with roaring applause.3

I strongly disagree with the narrow definition of peace as the absence of conflict and believe a much more panoramic definition is necessary. A society wherein minorities, women, or any other groups struggle to exist, even in a country with perfectly uneventful relations with its international counterparts, is not peaceful. My vision of true peace and prosperity requires equity, democracy, lawfulness, and above all, understanding. This is the fundamental premise that must be portrayed to understand this quote and the essence of Ataturk’s worldview. I believe I share his vision of peace, represented best by the reforms he has made in modern Turkish society and elucidated by the six arrows of Kemalism.

We are able to interpret this quote in two sections, one referring to home, and the other to the world. The emphasis is on the interdependence of these two aspects of peace. The former puts the responsibility on the Turkish population to uphold peace and prosperity within the republic. It is the commemoration of the founding of our nation, one built against all odds amongst the destruction of countless wars, and a sovereign republic that has risen from the ashes of the late Ottoman Empire. Hence, it solidifies peace as the most important heritage betrusted to generations of Turkish citizens along with democracy and sovereignty.

Above all, this code articulated by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk inspires a consciousness of global peace within the Turkish population. A reminder that humanity is above all, a community. Because any harm inflicted on Türkiye’s peaceful existence will damage world peace, just as current conflicts affect the entire world. This is where the second aspect of the quote, referring to the world, presents itself. This half promotes global cohesion, a world in which we fight for each others’ well-being on our path to prosperity.

It happens that war is in close proximity to Türkiye. Over the Black Sea where its northern coast lies, the Russo-Ukrainian war destroys the lives of innocent civilians. Middle Eastern neighbors, whom we refer to as “religious brothers” have been plagued by war for centuries. But we are not confounded by these realities. Because we are aware, unconsciously or consciously that war and conflict are as old as humanity itself. Violence is a natural phenomenon born from conflicting interests. Waging war in the name of “liberation”, and creating separation to “join” societies that share a common cultural, historical and spiritual heritage are not new concepts, albeit oxymorons.

But where there is war, so exists the prospect of peace. Is it not our responsibility to learn from the mistakes of our forebears? Must we inherit a culture of war and destruction, despite the ever-unchanging consequences?

The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war illustrates the pressing relevance of Ataturk’s “peace at home, peace in the world”. It has challenged Western society to acknowledge the reality of war, and that conflict is not limited to the “distant” regions of Africa and the Middle East. War is as near as the Ukrainian refugee who moved in next door to your house, the protesters waving yellow and blue flags down the street, and the glowing screen in front of you displaying images of mass bombings. Ignorance as a coping mechanism has become obsolete. A war in a refugee neighbor’s home country means war in your world, the world we collectively share.

Furthermore, the media is now saturated with predictions of how the conflict will advance, all while insinuations of “consequences that we have never faced in our history.” by world leaders such as Vladimir Putin strengthen the looming threat of nuclear warfare.4 It has reminded the global community that it cannot bear the consequences of another world war. The advancement of nuclear weaponry means with every strife we are walking on thin ice. The world saw a brief example of the destruction and fallout nuclear bombs and radiation are capable of in World War 2 Hiroshima and Nagasaki6, as well as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986.5 Nuclear warfare between two nations has the potential to end life on earth as we know it.

Thus, it is undeniable that with the advancement of technology, the significance of this quote also increases. I believe that “peace at home, peace in the world” should be adopted as the starting point of our tomorrow, and a universal standard of ethical foreign policies. Only with a consistent definition of peace and the strong presumption of global peace as an end goal may we consider further action. This is where international peacemaking organizations and willing countries step in to mediate conflict and provide humanitarian aid. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian aid (OCHA) and The Red Crescent are excellent examples of collaborative organizations which provide medical and religious military personnel to conflict areas.7 On a larger scale, the importance of diplomacy and multilateral agreement cannot be overstated. If needed, international bodies may step in to mediate conflict and evaluate the relative compatibility of each party’s interests to reach a common ground. What conflict solves with destruction, diplomacy solves with negotiation. Recalling the preconditions of my definition of peace, we must not stop at the eradication of conflict itself, but work to build a prosperous nation led by democracy and egalitarianism, just as the Republic of Türkiye transformed into a peaceful and prosperous nation through early Kemalist reforms. Instead of short-term anti-war strategies, we must focus on the bigger picture, permanent peace movements which focus on the root of our problem.8

It is my wish for every sparkly-eyed child to look upon this quote, wherever in the world they may be reading it from, and understand the timelessness and universality of such a code. We may never know which of these children will grow up to be a world leader, and perhaps adopt “peace at home, peace in the world”, as a global policy, and strive towards true peace.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1- DEPARTMENT of LAWS and RESOLUTIONS CONSTITUTION of the REPUBLIC of TÜRKİYE & RULES of PROCEDURE of the GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY of TÜRKİYE. May 2019.

2-Çetinkaya, Hikmet. “The Kemalist Revolution.” Www.cumhuriyet.com.tr, 29 Oct. 2017, www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/the-kemalist-revolution-855410. Accessed 21 Dec. 2022.

3-“Atatürk’ün Tamim, Telgraf ve Beyannameleri.” Atatürk Ansiklopedisi, 9 July 2021, ataturkansiklopedisi.gov.tr/bilgi/ataturkun-tamim-telgraf-ve-beyannameleri/. Accessed 21 Dec. 2022.

4-Zinets, Natalia, and Aleksandar Vasovic. “Russia Invades Ukraine in Europe’s “Darkest Hours” since WWII.” Reuters, 24 Feb. 2022, www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-orders-military-operations-Ukraine-demands-Kyiv-forces-surrender-2022-02-24/.

5-International Atomic Energy Agency. “Frequently Asked Chernobyl Questions | IAEA.” Iaea.org, IAEA, 7 Nov. 2016, www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/chernobyl/faqs.

6-National Archives. “The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 1945.” National Archives, 4 Aug. 2020, www.archives.gov/news/topics/hiroshima-nagasaki-75.

7-IFRC. “International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.” International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2019, www.ifrc.org/.

8-New Internationalist Editorial. “10 Steps to World Peace.” New Internationalist, May 2019, newint.org/features/2018/09/18/10-steps-world-peace.