27. Today in 1920s Turkey: 23 October 1926 (President Mustafa Kemal Pasha Inspects Army and Farm)

(Inspection, Karagöz, 23 October 1926, no. 1941, page 4.)

Comments:
On 15 October 1926 first president of the Turkish Republic, “Gazi” Mustafa Kemal Pasha had a very busy schedule! In the same day he managed to attend and observe military training exercises (“maneuvers”) and visit the model farm he recently established (1925) in the capital city of Ankara. Underscoring the temporal proximity of these two events to one another, this Karagöz illustration published a week later merges the material “fields” of the dual visits into one simultaneously occurring scene. Here, planes, tractors, and soldiers alike perform before the great Gazi who stands observing (with his back turned to the reader) the procedures. Although he is depicted in civilian garb he nevertheless holds a whip-like instrument in his right hand giving the impression that he is directing the entire national orchestra of machines and men. The visual overlapping of the indicators of these two events connotes the superhuman will of the “great” Gazi to almost be in two places at once. His indisputable sense of urgency is applied to two most fundamental human needs: sustenance (agriculture) and safety (national defense). United in importance; in the words of Karagöz, “Whatever the great Gazi considers significant, that is where salvation lies.”

Details from the illustration are not mere fantasies of the artist. The newspaper Cumhuriyet (“Republic”) ran stories about both visits on the front page of its 16 October 1926 issue. These articles note that Mustafa Kemal had been attending the training exercises of a garrison located outside of Ankara for the past six days. According to this account, the Turkish air force also flew planes and speaker of the assembly, Kazım Karabekir (uniformed man to the left of Mustafa Kemal) appeared in his “official uniform.”

English:
After the Maneuvers Our Gazi Pasha Inspected the Farm
Hacivat: Our great Gazi was present at the training exercises of our youthful and glorious army which guards the peace and safety of our country. He commended our heroes [there] and now he is inspecting our farm which will deliver well-being to our country and prosperity the nation.
Karagöz: Whatever the great Gazi considers significant that is where salvation lies, Hacivat. May God prevent us from deviating from his (the Gazi’s) path!

Türkçe:
Gazi Paşa’mız Manevradan Sonra Çiftliği Teftiş Ettiler
Hacivat: Büyük Gazimiz milletin sükun ve emniyetini koruyan genç ve şanlı ordumuzun manevralarında bulundu, kahramanlarımızı takdir etti, şimdi de memleketi selamete, milleti refaha çıkaracak çiftciliğimizi teftiş ediyor.
Karagöz: Büyük Gazi nereye ehemmiyet veriyorsa halas oradadır Hacivad, Allah bizi onun yolundan şaşırtmasın!

(Entire page, Karagöz, 23 October 1926, no. 1941, page 4.)