Pan-Turanism activities under scrutiny
Although the CHP government was tolerant towards Pan-Turanists in the early years of World War II, it hardened its position in the matter once the course of the war was crystallized. Following the court process that began once State Conservatory instructor Sabahattin Ali filed a suit against racist-Turanist movement leader Nihat Atsız, the Turanism issue came to be debated widely among the public. The official announcement the government released on May 18th upon the incidents emerging during the court case clearly indicated the change in position against Pan-Turanists:
They [Pan-Turanists] are abusing the purely nationalist and patriotic sentiments of innocent youngsters and recruiting supporters from the young generation, thereby engaging in a continuous and systematic activity to attain their objectives, and thus are working towards realizing their harmful ideologies.
A day after this announcement, President İsmet İnönü’s following words in his May 19th address also reflected the state’s approach to the developments: “We are Turkish nationalists, but we are enemies of racism in our country.”
In the two weeks following the address, racists were taken into custody and the Racism-Turanism Case that prosecuted 23 leading names of Turkish politics began in September of 1944.
Life of the first Prime Minister and the second President of the Republic of Turkey.
Photographs of Atatürk and İsmet İnönü, various memories from İnönü’s life, and photographs of İnönü Foundation activities from the İnönü Foundation archive.
While assuming “the most important woman” role before the society until 1938 as the wife of Prime Minister and between 1938 and 1950 as the wife of President, ensuing years Mevhibe İnönü won the Turkish public’s affection with her good heart, grace and modest character.
You can access and read Akis magazine, the first of the weekly news-politics magazines in the Turkish press, which was published weekly under the management of Metin Toker.
You can see the books and booklets published with the contribution or research assistance of the İnönü Foundation in this section.
You can view our calendar, which reminds us day by day of the events related to İsmet İnönü and his period, the work done during the foundation period of our Republic, and the events that the founders of our Republic considered important.
