Atatürk’s Arrival in Burdur Special Conference and Art Exhibition - March 6, 2024

Our Faculty's History Department organized a program on the occasion of the "94th Anniversary of Atatürk's Arrival in Burdur on March 6".

The program started with the opening of the exhibition held in the FEF Exhibition and Foyer Area. The opening of the painting exhibition, attended by academicians and students, was carried out by our Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Sevilay Özer and Head of the History Department Prof. Dr. Hasan Babacan.

After the opening, the conference titled "Atatürk's Domestic Travels and His Arrival in Burdur" was held. In the conference, where the Head of the History Department Prof. Dr. Hasan Babacan participated as a speaker, the purposes of Atatürk's travels were mentioned. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Hasan Babacan said, "Our society, the Turkish people, have given the title of 'Gazi', which has both material and spiritual significance, to people who chart new horizons for them. Let's pay attention, one of our state founders in the Ottoman Empire is Osmangazi.  Osman Bey or Orhan Bey did not say on their own, call me gazi from now on. The society said this. During and after the national struggle, the title of Gazi Pasha was given to Mustafa Kemal by the society. Gazi Pasha Mustafa Kemal also knew his society, knew the people, and saw well what could be done with them. Upon this, he organized various domestic travels immediately after the national struggle. And one of the purposes of these domestic travels was to be intertwined with the society, to integrate with them. What made Atatürk different was his being intertwined with the people, constantly exchanging ideas with the prominent figures from the public, and being one with the society. In other words, he was not someone detached from the people. Another purpose of his travels was to explain and make the people adopt the revolutions made until that day. In the places he visited, he conveyed these feelings and thoughts to them by being more involved with the youth and children. Because he thought the future was in them. When we look at his purposes, Mustafa Kemal was a man of action. He went on travels to see how the laws enacted, the innovations made, and the revolutions were implemented, and he explained these implementations to the people, becoming one heart with the nation in the villages, towns, and cities he visited." he said.

The program ended with a cocktail held in the Exhibition and Foyer Area.