The First International Organization in Which The Turkish Republic Participated: 1924 Paris Olympics

Turkish Republic participated in the Olympics, the largest international sports organizations, officially for the first time in 1924 in Paris. The new Turkish State, struggling to be recognized and to escape from diplomatic isolation after the War of Independence regarded the Olympics as a good method of propaganda. By showing substantial self-sacrifice and allocating funding in spite of its scanty resources, the country sent 40 sportsmen to Paris in football, wrestling, athletics, fencing and cycling. The 1924 Paris Olympics lasted for about three months from May 4, 1924 to July, 27, 1924 with a rather intensive and lengthy program. While American sportsmen shone out in the Olympics in which 3089 sportsmen from 44 countries participated, the Turkish national team did not achieve any success. However, the fact that Turkish Republic, fresh from The War of Independence, participated officially for the first time in such an important international organization, created substantial moral support for the nation. The knowledge that the new Turkish State could compete with the other nations of the world and present the Turkish flag to the world outweighed the thought of being unsuccessful in the games. This study investigates the importance given to sports, which like every area in the Modern Turkish State was founded under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasa reflected in the media and archive documents of the period.