The Gazi Race and the Construction of Republican Modernity in Early Republican Türkiye (1927–1938)

Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Republican regime attached great importance to the process of nation-building. During the Early Republican Period, events such as the Gazi Race became national rituals and played a significant role in shaping modern public life. From this perspective, the Gazi Race functioned not merely as a sporting event but also as a significant element in the formation of Republican public culture and the development of national rituals. Regularly attended by state elites and widely covered in the contemporary press, the event became an important stage for the articulation and public display of Ankara-centred Republican modernity. Notably, the race has been held continuously since its establishment and was held for the one-hundredth time in 2026. Archival sources and newspapers from the period constitute important materials for understanding the historical significance of the Gazi Race. These sources provide essential material for examining how the Gazi Race was represented in public discourse and positioned within broader narratives of modernization, national identity, and Republican transformation. The Gazi Race emerges as a ritualized public practice through which modernity, collective identity, and nation-building were represented and made visible during the Early Republican Period.