Kâzım Nami Duru; “The Uniqueness of the Turkish Revolution” and Kemalism

Abstract

Kâzım Nami Duru (1876–1967) was born in the first year of Sultan Abdulhamid II's reign and received his education in military schools. During his years at the Military Academy, he became acquainted with the Committee of Union and Progress, joining the organization in 1898 while serving in Tirana, his first assignment. In addition to military duties in Albania and Macedonia, he pursued a career in education. His deep interest in teaching led to his resignation from the military in 1910, after which he was appointed Educational Inspector of the Province of Salonica. Engaged in Salonica’s vibrant intellectual milieu, Duru contributed to periodicals and newspapers while producing original and translated works. In the Republican era, he actively participated in the early 1930s debates on Kemalism as an educator and parliamentarian. Shaped by his identities as a soldier, Unionist, Turkist, and educator, Duru consistently expressed views on socio-political issues. Elected as a Member of Parliament for Manisa in 1935, he founded Yeni Kültür, advocating Kemalism as the core objective of education. He emphasized the need for a book elucidating Kemalism in an accessible language. However, his forthright stance led to his marginalization within the Republican People’s Party. Undeterred, he wrote the proposed book himself and submitted it to the party secretariat. Though deemed unsuitable for publication, the text remains significant, encapsulating his pedagogical approach to socio-political phenomena and his unique interpretation of Kemalism across historical periods. © 2025, Hacettepe University. All rights reserved.