Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that the Turkish Republic is a continuation of the Ottoman Caliphate (Ottoman).
Erdogan said in remarks commemorating the centenary of the death of Ottoman Khalifah Sultan Abdulhamid II, Saturday (10/2/2018), at Yildiz Palace, Istanbul.
"The Turkish Republic, just like our previous state which is a continuation of each other, is also a continuation of the Ottoman (Ottoman)," Erdogan was quoted as saying by the Anadolu Agency news agency on Saturday (10/2).
"Of course, the border (state territory) has changed. The form of government has changed ... But essentially the same, the same soul, even many of the same institutions, "explained Erdogan.
Erdogan explains, this is why Sultan Abdulhamid is one of the most important, most visionary and strategic individuals he has noted in the last 150 years.
Sultan Abdulhamid II, son of Sultan Abdulmejid, died in 1918, and was the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Caliphate.
Erdogan criticized those who had a narrow point of view about Sultan Abdulhamid. Namely by releasing the Turkish nation with its history.
"Some people are persistently trying to start the country's history from 1923. Some people relentlessly try to release us from our historical roots and values," he added.
The official proclamation of the Turkish Republic by its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk himself took place on 29 October 1923, when the name of the nation and its status as a republic was declared, replacing the Ottoman Caliphate.
Erdogan says the big picture is to bring character and memory to a nation.
"We are proud of our history without discrimination," Erdogan said.
News Source: Anadolu Agency