The effect of Turkish state tradition on i̇dentity formation: Early Republican Period

Relationships got complicated and the concept of social order came out in consequence of individuals living in society. An authority that is above the society and regulates and inspects social relationships and ensures social order was needed. The need forentrusting authority and sanction power to a body in order to ensure social order brought out states. Political culture and state tradition of societies determined the position of the state in the political system. State gained a divine identity in the process in which the Turks maintain their life in tough steppe lands, and this case gave rise to an understanding that glorifies state. The state identity that took shape in the political culture gave the Turks the ability to establish a state. Therefore, the Turkish nation that fell captive put up a fight for independence and struggled to establish a new state again. The notion of "the eternal state" maintained its continuity in the Turkish political culture in every period, and although cultures of different nations have been adopted, the Turks absorbed those cultures in their own culture according to the notion "the eternal state". As the state assumes the role of the father to ensure welfare of the nation, the Turkish nation struggled for the existence of the state in every period of history. The Turks fought for ensuring world domination and world order along with establishment of the Ottoman Empire. Recession of the state beginning from 18th century and the nationalism movements that arose in Europe set the society in motion and new ways were sought for continuation of the existence of the state. Along with the World War One, the period of national struggle began in order to ensure safety of life of the Turkish nation and lay the foundations of a new state. A new state identity came to be formed in the newly established Turkish state based on the historical bonds of the society, and the nation entered into identity formation process along with Turkish History Thesis and Sun Language Theory.