mentioned,however,theneedforsuchanorganizationfortheRepublicwas
stressedyetagain.TheauthorvaluedtheOGD’smaincontributiontothemilitary
effortsandsawinthemagoodopportunitytofindtalentedyoungleaders
amongthelocalpopulation.TheOGDhadeducated“quiteafewreserveoffi-
cers”¹⁶⁶andhadservedasgoodmilitarypreparationfortheotherparticipants.
Intheprospectiveorganization,fieldtrainingshouldnotbeneglected,since
theinfantryhadbeenoneofthemostimportantunitsofthelastwarsbefore
andafter1918.TheTurkishstatewastofocusonsettingupshootingranges
fortheolderyouthandwastofollowtheFrenchandPolishmodels(thathad
beendescribedinthesamepublicationbyotherauthors).¹⁶⁷Inthisregard,
theGermanrolemodelwasnolongerseenassuperior,however,theolddesig-
nationsofGürbüzandDinçfortheyoungerandolderboys’sectionswasadopted
fromOGD’sterminology.
WithcloselinkstoSocialDarwinismandtheexperiencesofdefeatandoc-
cupation,theTurkishRepublicangovernmentsawsportasanessentialmeans
formodernization.ButsimilarlytotheOGD,thisemphasisonsportsalsoserved
thenationbuildinginasocietyshapedbywar,forcedmigrationandgenocide.
Intheofficialsportorganizationsafter 1923 ,therewasahighinfluenceofformer
militaryofficersontheciviliansportsmovement.Aspreviouslymentioned,the
NationalOlympicCommitteewasheadedbySelimSırrıTarcan(19 23 – 1927 ),fol-
lowedbythecivilianGalatasaraysportclubfounder,AliSamiYen( 1927 – 19 30).
ParalleltohisdutyasTurkishambassadorinBerlin,theformerGeneralKema-
lettinSamiwasheadoftheTurkishOlympiccommittee(19 30 – 1933 )andwasas-
sistedbyEkremRüştüAkömer,aformerofficertrainedinGermanyfrom 1910 to
1912 astheGeneralsecretary(19 30 – 19 36).¹⁶⁸ThosenetworksofGermanspeak-
ingmenandGermanophilesmightalsoexplainwhytheTurkishstateinvited
severalGermansportinstructors,amongthemalsoCarlDiem.¹⁶⁹
SelimSırrıparticipatedinthediscourseonthefoundationofaproposed
newRepublicanyouthorganizationinOctober 1925 .Thisdebatebeganback
AhmedSedat:“MemleketimizdeGençlerinAskerîTalimveTerbiyesi,”[MilitaryEducation
andTrainingoftheYouthinourCountry],inOrdudaİlimveİrfanveGençliğinAskerliğe
İhzarıUsulleri(Dersaadet[Istanbul]:Matbaa-yıAskeriye,1 33 9/ 1923 ), 79 .ThisarticlebyAhmed
SedatwasaspecialprintfromMecmua-yıAskeriye 50 (1339).
AhmedSedat,“MemleketimizdeGençlerin,” 80 – 81.
Cf.thelistonpage9in“TürkiyeMilliOlimpiyatKomitesiTarihçesi”[HistoryoftheTurkish
National OlympicCommittee].www.olimpiyatkomitesi.org.tr/Upload/Menu/1 2177 1_tarihce.pdf
{LastAcessedon 24 November 2017 }
FortheworkoftheotherinstructorsseeMangold-Will,BegrenzteFreundschaft,4 29 ,432.
BacktoCivilLife:SelimSırrı 1918 – 1927 137