Today in History – 11 August

Darülfünun’s gesture to İsmet Pasha

Presided by İsmet Pasha, the Turkish delegation at Lausanne fought for months to earn global recognition for Turkey as a sovereign state. With the exception of Şeref Bey, who had to stay in Switzerland for treatment, the delegation reached Uzunköprü on August 9, 1923 at 12:30 PM amidst a frenzied welcome of cheering crowds. After an exhausting struggle abroad, this enthusiastic welcome was a great surprise for İsmet Pasha and the delegation. Following the welcoming ceremony, the train headed towards İstanbul.

The delegation was also met by a grand ceremony in İstanbul. Several days before traveling to Ankara, İsmet Pasha, the hero of Lausanne, stayed in İstanbul for several days. During that time, the School of Science at Darülfünun (present-day İstanbul University) granted him an honorary professorship as a “Scholar of War” on August 11th. In the speech he gave at the ceremony, İsmet Pasha explained how the War of Independence was won and made the following assessment on the Treaty of Lausanne:

The National Struggle was a heavy test that the nation had to undergo. So was the Treaty of Lausanne. We went there to show that we had the gift to live. We were in a strong position. When we said we were rejecting [the impositions], we knew the nation was rejecting [them] as well.