'The Turkish and Pan-Turkish Ideal by Tekin Alp' [‎9r] (22/58)

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indescribable rejoicing. What had happened ? Had the Turks regained
Macedonia ?
It was only the anniversary of the taking of Constantinople, or some
similar memorial day. The procession of demonstrators, thousands
strong, would repair to the grave of Fatih, the great conqueror of Con
stantinople, in order to appeal to his sacred spirit and thus gain strength
and inspiration for the hard task of the future. The public seemed to
believe that Constantinople had been conquered once more. They had
never had an opportunity of remembering the names of their heroes,
such as Fatih, Sultan Suleiman Kanoni, and others. It was not until
this time that they began proudly to recall these heroes and celebrate
their memories—this time, when the Turks first began to find themselves.
These demonstrations were far from being ordinary public gatherings ;
not only the people, but the Government took part in these memorial
days, by issuing the proclamation that these festivals were in future
to be observed in all schools, and that deputations of school-children and
students were to take part in the various ceremonies.
These celebrations, “ Ihtifal i milli ” (national processions), as they
were called in the official documents, were henceforward to be held every
year, and were to be taken as an opportunity for a revival of hero-worship,
in which the heroes, and the glorious episodes of Turkish history, might
live again to be a strength and example to the nation. Thus the nation,
who had hitherto regarded its past with indifference, and remained in
utter ignorance of its great men, made up for the past years, and made
reparation for its omissions in erecting in its heart a Pantheon of all its
national heroes.
CHAPTER V
THE OPPOSITION
It must be admitted that discords arose from time to time in the
harmonious development of the national movement. Opposing voices
were heard protesting against its progress. These protests were often
merely directed against a part of the “ Yeni Hay at’s ” programme, but
sometimes against its entire policy. A majority of writers declared
themselves against the principles of the “ Yeni Lisan ”, and would not
consent to give up a technique and style which they had created in the
course of a few decades. Well-known authors, such as Jenab Shehab-
Eddin, Suleiman Nazif, and others, continued to use the customary
Persian and Arabic phrases which were so bitterly attacked by the “ Yeni
Lisan
For some time the partisans of the old school even attempted
publicly to defend their theories. The loss of the great treasure of Arabic
and Persian words would detract from the charm and poetry of the