Turkey is the country of great hopes, rightful waits, magnificent achievements, unique revolutions and of our forever flag, our Ancestor; Mustafa Kemal. As our yearning vibrates with his light in our hearts in the 83nd year of his physical death; our gratitude toward our Ancestor is eternal! And we are forever grateful for the Commander in Chief Veteran Mustafa Kemal Atatürk;
-For recreating his country, loving it more than anything,
-For wanting generations with free minds, free consciences,
-For never bowing his head and never letting anyone bow their heads,
-For distributing the foundations of a Just and Independent Republic with non-sexist rights,
-For the focus of his revolutions had Illumination, Solidarity, Human Rights and Peace,
-For making “Being a Woman” more valuable than anything else in our country,
-For offering the concept of citizenship, Individual Democracy and the democratic political reflex for his Nation,
-For his people whom he shared with, whom he fought for, whom he glorified,
-For listening to his people, for understanding them, for being hungry with his people,
-For performing Zeibek, singing Yemen Folk Songs, and reviving Sakarya,
-For putting hats on women, sending them off to Universities, and making them Parliamentarians,
-For teaching us Integrating and not Separating!
-Progressing and not Regressing!
-Existing and not Dissipating!
-Sagacity and not Ratification!
-Willpower and not Fate!
And Persevering and not Quitting!
Your Ideas in our minds; your Love in our Hearts will never end; the only truth that we shall never forget and allow to be forgotten is that;
TURKEY IS THE TURKEY OF KEMAL!..
Selin Söğütlügil
“I know from the family elders that our Ancestor, who lifted absolute monarchy and Sultanate and established the Republic of Turkey, personally set it as a life strategy of his to not have his family and close relatives in the forefront during the first years of our Republic. Our blood relation is an extremely glorious responsibility for us. We have always carefully owned up to our Ancestor’s decision as his family. The only aspect where we will honor the epaulette of Atatürk’s cousins in our time and break our silence is a fair and strong content aspect of action and the objective of that aspect is labor, contribution and service to our society and unique country. I define “Woman” as the cement of a society, Woman is who builds social unity with her unifying and producing existence, who improves it with her energy and who sustains it with her ambition. The Turkish women were granted the right to elect and be elected in 1934 which is a highly progressive and spectacular gift. To me, it is “a unique happiness to carry the honor of being a Turkish Woman” as well as the honor of being related to Atatürk.”
Selin V. Söğütlügil - Sözcü Newspaper Interview/2019
