An Examination of the Historiography of Milli Mücadele (National Struggle) in Context of the Early Republic of Turkey

بررسی تاریخ‌نگاری ملّی مُجادله (مبارزه ملی) در بسترِ جمهوری اولیۀ ترکیه

Abstract

This study examines the developments that emerged in the historiography of the National Struggle (1919–1923) and its role in the formation of the national identity of the Republic of Turkey. By reviewing the major events of this period, it also evaluates the ideological and cultural dimensions associated with the historiography of the early Republican era. The research was conducted using a descriptive-qualitative method and an analytical-historical approach, drawing on documents and library-based sources. The aim of this study is to answer the following question: With the transition from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey, what approaches emerged in Republican historiography? The findings derived from an examination of the available sources related to the subject indicate that, following the departure from the multi-ethnic structure of the Ottoman Empire, the historiography of the early years of the Republic was founded on the principles of secularization, nationalization, and Westernization. The Thesis of Turkish History, which was formed under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, sought to strengthen the legitimacy of the nation-state by utilizing disciplines such as archaeology, anthropology, and linguistics. The distinction and importance of this research lie in the fact that, using a historical-analytical approach, it examines issues related to the historiography of that period and its relationship to the national identity of the Turkish Republic, as reflected in relevant scientific sources.