ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER - August 2010
NATIONAL STRUGGLE NEVER ENDS
The symbolic day of when occupying forces were expelled from our lands is August 30th. August 30th is the day when the national struggle, unity, and solidarity of the Turkish nation served as an example to the world. It is the day that marks a milestone in the history of the Turkish people. As long as life continues, the national struggle will never end. The struggles fought in 1071 at Malazgirt, in 1453 in Istanbul, and throughout Anatolia in the 1920s are the national struggles of the Turkish people.
The end of wars should not be interpreted as the end of the national struggle. National struggle must continue through measures and actions. Today, instead of blood, we must shed sweat, and more importantly, we must work with intelligence and knowledge. As in every era of history, today too, every individual of our nation must be part of the national struggle in order to be among the most powerful nations in the world. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone should recognize that they are part of the national struggle and must work continuously to contribute.
Today, every student, from elementary school to university, has a great responsibility on their shoulders. The only way to shoulder this responsibility properly is through one thing: working, working, working… Every professional is also a part of the national struggle. There is much to say on this subject, but I want to bring the topic to one point. This point is the earthquake danger we have experienced in the past in places like Erzincan, Bingöl, Ceyhan, Gebze, and Kocaeli. It is one of the invisible threats to our country’s economy.
Isn’t it a national struggle to address such a huge danger as the earthquake? Those who fail to deal with this issue, from the relevant ministers to members of parliament, from bureaucrats to mayors, from professors to engineers, from civil society organizations to citizens—aren’t they all failing in the national struggle? Moreover, the earthquake is an unpredictable enemy, striking at any time and from any place. To avoid being defeated, we must always be on alert. We have raised the earthquake issue on every occasion, and the reason is the size of the danger. At least until the necessary steps are taken for our city of Elazığ, we will continue to raise this issue at every opportunity.
It is not enough to take pride in history; we must live up to that history.
I celebrate your Victory Day with the poem "Victory Anthem" by Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel.
VICTORY ANTHEM
Those who do not dare to embrace death do not live,
Victory is for those who run without closing their eyes.
Those who do not stain the flag with their blood,
Go, as tears fall, as they part!
If you want to win the victory,
Fill the skies with your thunderous voice,
The victory is for the heroic spirit,
It flees from the silent ones, but it goes to the ones who are full of vigor.
On this road, everyone is one, oh youth,
The living are honorable, the dead are glorious!
Those who fight for the homeland, with heads held high,
Always go from this honor to that honor.
Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel