Citizenship education in primary schools in the single party period of 1924-1946

In the aftermath of Turkish War of Independence, the newly established Republic of Turkey entered a new era that led to progress and modernization. This period is marked by the prominence of political, social, legal and economic reforms and their internalization. These reforms constituted the core of Turkish national project. In order to fulfil the national project, founders of the Republic used education as a primary tool to realize their goals. ?Yurt Bilgisi? (civic knowledge) was one of the main subjects by means of which the project was materialized. It is through education in general, and ?Yurt Bilgisi? subject in particular, that the reformers tried to disseminate Republican values, engrained in one-party system. This course played a pivotal role in nurturing a new generation that would adhere to Republican principles. At the same time, the content of the course sheds light on the features of the period and the concept of citizenship, as it was understood during this period. The main aim during this period was to establish a nation-state, based on civic understanding of citizenship. The civic model, being a reflection of the principles engrained in the one-party system was disseminated through curriculum and textbooks. The `Yurt Bilgisi? course served as a backbone of these reforms.The process of modernization and nation-building process was an attempt to break all ties with the past. The broader project aimed at restructuring political system in the country on the one hand, and to nurture individuals in the spirit of Turkish Republicanism on the other. `Yurt Bilgisi? has indeed served as a tool for glorification of nationalism that paved the way for a new thinking in the Republic.