The struggle for independence and the interaction with Kemalism in Hatay (1918–1939)

This thesis examines the struggle for independence carried out in Hatay between 1918 and 1939, and the interaction established between Kemalism and the local population during this process. During this process, Hatay became not only a site of political conflict, but also a social space where national identity was shaped. In this context Kemalist ideology, was not only a political approach but also as a structure that supported and shaped social belonging in Hatay through diverse means and practices. Kemalist ideology became visible in Hatay society through reforms, social organizations, the press, national symbols, and rituals such as national holidays. Reforms like the Hat and Alphabet revolutions became symbols of the Turkish population of Hatay's struggle for independence and social resistance. This process of interaction, shaped through press activities, local opinion leaders, and social organizations, laid the groundwork for a multi-layered construction of identity in which the people embraced Kemalist values as instruments of the struggle for independence. In this context this thesis try to explain the ties that the people of Hatay established connection between Kemalism and Kemalist values during the struggle of independence process and the sense of national belonging shaped through these ties, it aims to understand the intersection between the independence struggle and the construction of Kemalist identity in Hatay. In this context, the thesis seeks to understand the intersection between the struggle for independence and the construction of a Kemalist identity in Hatay by focusing on the bonds formed between the people of Hatay and Kemalism and its values during the independence process, as well as the sense of national belonging shaped through these bonds.