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Nutuk (Ottoman Turkish: نطق, lit. "The Speech") is a historic speech delivered by Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 15 to 20 October 1927, at the second congress of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in Ankara. The speech details the events between the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence on 19 May 1919 and the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Spanning six days, the speech took a total of 36 hours and 33 minutes to be read by Atatürk.
The text is considered a foundational document of Kemalism and the official historiography of the Turkish Republic's establishment. (2025). 9781838600174, Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781838600174 In it, Atatürk presents his perspective on the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the political, social, and military struggles that led to the creation of a new nation-state. It established a definitive narrative of the national struggle, solidified Atatürk's position as its leader, and served as a political and ideological guide for the new republic.
While revered in Turkey as a primary source for the nation's founding, Nutuk has also been the subject of critical historical analysis for its role in constructing a singular national narrative, its silencing of alternative perspectives, and its omission of certain events, most notably the Armenian genocide. (2025). 9780199792764, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199792764
While Atatürk was the principal author, he consulted with friends and colleagues, reading drafts to them and incorporating their feedback. He meticulously gathered and organized official documents, telegrams, letters, and reports from the 1919–1927 period to support his narrative. The original manuscript of the speech was later entrusted to the General Staff's Harp Tarihi Dairesi (War History Department).İnan, Afet (1980). "Atatürk'ün Büyük Nutuk’unun Müsveddeleri". Atatürk’ün Büyük Söylevi’nin 50. Yılı Semineri. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu. p. 34.
Atatürk's stated purpose was to provide a first-hand historical account of the Turkish nation's struggle for future generations. However, the speech also served several other functions: to provide a political accounting to the nation and his party, to settle scores with his political opponents, and to establish a foundational ideology for the future of the Republic.Cicioğlu, Hasan (2003). "Atatürk’ün Büyük Nutuk’ta Adları Geçen Muhalifleri, Muhalefet Gerekçeleri, Atatürk’ün Cevabı". Yetmiş beşinci Yılında Büyük Nutuk’u Anlayarak Okumak Bilgi Şöleni 17–18 Ekim 2003 Ankara, Bildiriler Kitabı. Ankara: Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi. pp. 111–155.
The speech was delivered over six days, with Atatürk speaking for several hours each day, totaling 36 hours and 33 minutes. He began by stating his intention to give an account of the events of the preceding years:
The speech concluded on the evening of 20 October with his address to the Turkish youth. The conclusion was met with a lengthy standing ovation, and according to contemporary accounts, Atatürk himself was moved to tears.Asım, Mehmet (27 October 1927). "Gazinin Gözyaşları". Vakit Gazetesi. Following the speech, a motion by delegate Necip Asım Bey to formally thank Atatürk and approve the Nutuk was passed unanimously by the congress.
He outlines the three main proposals for salvation circulating at the time: demanding protection from Britain, accepting an American mandate, or allowing for regional resistance. He rejects all three, arguing that the foundations of the Ottoman Empire were shattered and that the only viable solution was the creation of a new, independent Turkish state based on national sovereignty.
This section details the organization of the national movement, including the Amasya Circular, the Erzurum Congress, and the Sivas Congress, establishing the principles of the struggle.
Key events covered include the major battles of the Greco-Turkish War, such as the First and Second Battles of İnönü, the Battle of Sakarya, and the Great Offensive. He explains his military strategy, including his famous directive at the Battle of Sakarya:
The section culminates with the military victory, the Armistice of Mudanya, and the beginning of the Lausanne peace negotiations. It also covers the abolition of the Sultanate on 1 November 1922, a pivotal moment he describes as the nation reclaiming its sovereignty by force.
The speech has been translated into numerous languages, including German (1928), French (1929), English (1929), and Russian (1929–34). Many publishing houses in Turkey and abroad continue to print editions of the work.
Linguists have also focused on its prose. Zeynep Korkmaz calls the language “measured and natural” for its time and regards the speech as a model of early-Republican Turkish.Korkmaz, Z. (2002). “Atatürk’ün Büyük Nutuk’unun Dil ve Üslûp Özellikleri”. In Ayan, A.; Parlak, M. A. (eds.), Yetmiş Beşinci Yılında Büyük Nutuk’u Anlayarak Okumak (pp. 156–163). Ankara: Atatürk Araştırma Merkezi. Historian Yusuf Akçura characterised it as “the founding narrative ( kuruluş destanı) of the Republic”, emphasising both its historical content and literary form.Akçura, Y. (2010). “Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin Aslî Membalarından: Nutuk”. In Köklügiller, A. (ed.), Nutuk Nedir, Ne Değildir? 2nd ed. İstanbul: IQ Kültür Sanat. pp. 26–30. Biographer Şevket Süreyya Aydemir argued that the work should be read “not merely as memoir but as a primary political document of lasting importance”.Aydemir, Ş. S., quoted in Kılıç, M. (2019). “Büyük Nutuk’un Cumhuriyet Tarihindeki Yeri ve Önemi”. Türk Dünyası Araştırmaları. 121 (238): 113–136.
In Turkish secondary-school history and civics courses Nutuk has been required or recommended reading since the 1930s, and abridged editions aimed at younger readers remain in print.Kılıç, M. (2019). “Büyük Nutuk’un Cumhuriyet Tarihindeki Yeri ve Önemi”. Türk Dünyası Araştırmaları. 121 (238): 113–136. Translations into French, German, English and Russian appeared between 1928 and 1934, giving the speech an early international readership and prompting comparative studies.Şimşir, B. N. (1991). Atatürk’ün Büyük Söylevi Üzerine Belgeler. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu. pp. 15–22.
Several key figures of the War of Independence who later became political opponents of Atatürk, such as Kâzım Karabekir, Rauf Orbay, and Halide Edib Adıvar, contested the narrative presented in Nutuk. They argued that the speech minimized their roles and contributions while exaggerating Atatürk's, and that it unfairly portrayed them as misguided or even treasonous. Halide Edib, for example, took issue with how her support for an American mandate was depicted, arguing it was a pragmatic consideration in a desperate time—a view she claimed Atatürk himself had not initially opposed.
Historians and sociologists have debated the speech’s canonical status and its omissions within Turkish national historiography. Sociologist Fatma Müge Göçek describes the speech as having been "adopted as the official Turkish national narrative and became sacralized by the state". She argues that laws protecting Atatürk's memory have made it difficult for Turkish historians to analyze the speech critically. Göçek points out that by beginning the national story in 1919, the text "removes in the process the demise of the Armenians in 1915 through state violence to the realm of Republican prehistory". (2025). 9780199792764, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199792764
Some scholars have highlighted the speech's role in justifying the establishment of a single-party autocracy. Historian Marc David Baer writes that the speech's themes include "silence, denial... general amnesia about past violence (unless presenting Turks as the real victims), identifying with the perpetrators, and never questioning the great prophetic and infallible leader (Atatürk)". (2025). 9780253045423, Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253045423 British historian Perry Anderson noted the speech's monumental scale as a tool of autocratic rule, stating it "dwarfed any address by Khrushchev or Castro... a record in the annals of autocracy".
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