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Messages From Students
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Anthony Lake: Last year when I had been working at Bilkent for only a few months I was in the city on October 29 watching the commemorations of the seventy-fourth anniversary. Then it occurred to me that in another year the seventy-fifth anniversary would reach a significant milestone. Happily, I am here now and I feel a strong sense of history and it is a privilege to be able to see the celebration of a formative event in the history of the 20th Century.
Lalatendu Das: The seventy-fifth Republic Day celebration of Turkey reflects the power of the democratic, secular structure that Turkey has maintained through time. It is a celebration of the people of Turkey and the world for maintaining a progressive civil society.
Ronald Tamplin: It is a great day for Turkey. I am pleased to be here to be part of it.
Jeanne Dubino: I am really impressed by Turkey. It is remarkable modern. So much has happened in such a short time since quitting the Ottoman Empire. Turkey has gone through difficulties but it is a strong country that does not jump into a war because of the conflicts it has now with its neighbors.
Yuko Shida: When I first came to Turkey, I saw Atatürk's picture everywhere. At first I thought it was somewhat tyrannical but I now realize he is a great person. We don't have anything like that in Japan.
Ahmet Fettahoğlu: It is a nice occasion to celebrate. I wish we had been celebrating the one-hundred-seventy-fifth! We would have had an older democracy. As we celebrate the seventy-fifth, every Turkish citizen should celebrate what the Republic has to offer.
İsmail İpek: The Turkish Republic should have been at a higher intellectual level. It is my greatest dream to see a technologically developed, modern, and a democratic Turkey where individual rights and values are respected.
Seçil Saraçoğlu: I like to celebrate it in vigor. As educators, we have to protect the Republic.
Jülide Kalınyazgan: I am proud of being at this university under a Republic. I owe my presence to the Republic.
Levent Akdeniz: We have made great progress in seventy-five years. I donÕt think we can see similar progress anywhere in the world. We have come a long way in all areas, including agriculture and what we wear. (The progress) originates from the dynamism of the Turkish people.
Mehmet Caner: I wish everybody a happy seventy-fifth anniversary.
Nejdet Gök: We have to make a realistic assessment of where we are at this point. I feel as if we hardly improved at all in certain ways.
İsmail Ertan: I am indeed very happy to be celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary in scholarly environment like Bilkent with its contentious students who are the ultimate protectors of the Republic.
Sare Öz: We have to be aware of what we are granted by the Republic and protect it accordingly. The Republic means liberty, honor, and pride. If we do not protect the Republic, we cannot protect these values.
Berna Cordan: The Republic and Atatürk's reforms mean almost the same thing. With the Republic we transformed from a congregation into a nation; from subjects to citizens.
Gülriz Büken: The Republic means peace, equality, social order, and welfare.
Murat Alkar: We have to appreciate what Atatürk has done as the founder of the Republic. I am proud to be alive on this day.
Uğur Madran: This is very much like celebrating a birthday. I think it has been exaggerated a little. The agenda has changed and (peopleÕs attention) got diverted.
Orkun Kara: The Republic is virtue.
Burak Gürel: I think every year is important. I don't see why the seventy-fifth is more important than others.
Muhammed Altun: Happy Republic Day to all.
Sefa Feza Arslan: To protect the Republic means to ask how to achieve a democratic and a liberating Republic, transforming its people from passive listeners into active decision-makers in a society with peace.
Bilkent News thanks Sezen Dolanay and Özlem Boztaş for compiling student and faculty messages for this special anniversary issue.
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