Draft:Takrir-i Sükûn Law

Takrir-i Sükûn Law (Ottoman: تقرير سكون قانوني; Modern Turkish: Huzurun Sağlanması Yasası) was a law accepted in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on March 4, 1925.

Takrir-i Sükûn Law, which granted extraordinary powers to the government, was used by Prime Minister İsmet İnönü in mid-November 1924 to request the declaration of martial law against the threat of religious reactionism. However, when he could not get his request approved in the Assembly, he resigned and was replaced by Fethi Okyar, known for his moderate personality. In mid-February 1925, when the Sheikh Said Rebellion broke out, martial law was immediately declared in the Eastern Anatolia Region. Fethi Bey was overthrown and İsmet Pasha formed the new government on March 3. The first task of the new government was to pass the Law of Maintenance of Order in the Assembly and decided to establish two Independence Courts, one to work in the rebellion region and the other to work in the remaining regions of the country under the name Ankara. On the other hand, army units were mobilized. With the planned military operation, the rebels were dispersed and the ringleaders were captured. Those claimed by the government to be guilty were tried in the Independence Courts. Those found guilty were sentenced to various punishments (including death). In the investigation, it was understood that some of the rebels were members of the Progressive Republican Party. As a result, the only opposition party in the country was closed by a government decision on June 3, 1925.

Takrir-i Sükûn Law, consisting of 3 articles and dated March 4, 1341 (1925), had the following first article: “Government, with the approval of the President, is authorized to prohibit all organizations, provocations, encouragements, attempts, and publications that may violate the social order, peace, and security of the country and are aimed at disrupting reactionism and rebellion. The government can refer those who commit these actions to the Independence Court.”

This law was extended again approximately two years later, on March 2, 1927. The first article of the amendment law of the second article of the 979 numbered Law of Maintenance of Order is as follows: “The second article of the law of maintenance of order dated 8 Sha’ban 1343 and March 4, 1341 and numbered 578 has been amended as written below: This law will be enforced from March 4, 1927, to March 4, 1929.”

During the discussions of the bill in the Assembly, only Prime Minister İsmet Pasha spoke. In this speech, İsmet Pasha stated that the most important danger was not actually the action movement that emerged with the Sheikh Said Rebellion, the real danger was the “confusion and indecision that arose in the general life of the country”. According to İsmet Pasha, the Law of Maintenance of Order “has removed the thick smoke that the country has stretched over to see these mixed truths of things.” Thus, good and bad have been distinguished from each other. İsmet Pasha speaks with admiration for the struggle of the Independence Courts at this point. However, he also underlines that they will not propose to re-establish the Independence Courts on March 7. After finishing his speech with continuous and intense applause, the bill submitted to the vote was accepted and the Law of Maintenance of Order was extended for another two years.

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Category:Ottoman Empire Category:Law of the Ottoman Empire