Abstract
It is possible to say that one of the interesting issues in the evaluations of the 100 years of the Republic is the imagination of the “society” that the new regime aimed to build. Because almost all political, cultural, economic and even military initiatives were essentially related to the construction of the new society in question. The six arrows symbolizing the Republican People’s Party represent key principles of the construction of this envisioned society. The “principles” of statism, nationalism, republicanism, populism, secularism and revolutionism were related to the goal of society that the new regime intended to establish. In this article, the social imagination, dynamics, construction process, reflections and partial results of the Turkish Republic are discussed. Rather than taking a political stance of praise or blame, the focus is on presenting a sociological perspective on the outcomes of the Republic’s social imagination. The methodology involves examining written sources of the period, such as legal documents, official reports, Turkish Parliament minutes, memoirs, and the national press. Additionally, academic literature on the subject is consulted to provide a comprehensive understanding of the modernization efforts, societal changes, and the impact of the Republic in Turkey. © 2024, Turkish Medical Association. All rights reserved.