In 1933, the Youth Shed Wagon-Li

In 1933, the Wagon-Li incident that took the youth to the streets: They decided to hold a big rally “to protest this attitude of the Company Manager Jannoni, who insulted the hometown's sacredness”.

Founded in 1872 by the Belgian George Nagelmackers, the Vagon-Li (La Compagnie des Wagons-Lits) was a company providing bed and dinner train services in Europe. Since 1883, he started to make Paris-Istanbul flights with the famous Eastern Express and opened an office in Istanbul-Pera and Galata. In the Republican era, with the permission of Mustafa Kemal, he operated İstanbul-Ankara bed and dining wagons. In these years when the highways were not yet developed, Vagon-Li was a company in Istanbul-Ankara, where state officials and embassy officers frequently traveled. The staff consisted of Turkish and French.

“Should you act with the stick? "

The events that took place as Wagon-Li events in history started after the events in 22 February 1933 in the office below the Tokatlıyan Hotel in Pera. One of the customers will get up in the evening, asked if there was a place on the Ankara train, the place insisted the request could not be found. Naci Bey, the office staff, called the office in Galata. Naci spoke Turkish on the phone, which annoyed the newly appointed Belgian manager Gaetan Jannoni. It is alleged that Jannoni Naci Bey will call ... Do you know that the official language is French? You should be treated with a stick. Size . I am a Turk. The official language in my country is Turkish. Even you should learn Turkish. Hatta Jannoni would be even more angry at this answer and Naci Bey would pay a fine of 10 liras. Naci Bey was in French on 'Why would I punish him and what is my fault? I have the right to speak Turkish in my hometown. N Jannoni's reaction increased and he shouted ann I fire you for 15 for the day Mem. Naci Bey took off his hat and walked away without saying a word.

the tenth year of the Republic in the early days of celebration preparations for these events occurred, the newspaper found itself in large areas: 'the Turkish language has no place in Turkey do not want to! ”Two days ago, Vagon-Li had become an extraordinary event that could be considered the rape of our national dignity in Beyoğlu's agency. '

This and similar news in the newspapers would have a wide impact on the public and stimulate national feelings. Representatives of the university youth decided to hold a big rally "to protest this attitude of the Company Manager Jannoni, who insulted the destiny of the country".

Thousands of demonstrators in Taksim

On February 25, thousands of demonstrators took action towards Beyoğlu. They gather on the land behind the University and newspapers in front of the office with stones they wrap the incoming demonstrators corporate office saldırdılar.'türkiye' in Turkish is spoken, '' the Turkish language in Turkey is dominated by 'doors with slogans like glass breaking demonstrators looted go in the offices, Mustafa Kemal received from the office' This time, they went to the company's agency in Karaköy with the official and Turkish flags of the city, and they looted it in the same way. The demonstrators then continued with the Porte and continued their shows there, coming in front of newspapers such as Evening, Milliyet, Vakit and Cumhuriyet. Coming to Cumhuriyet newspaper, Peyami Safa, one of the authors, shouted, “Those who extend their language to Turkish language should dry their tongue”, would enthusiastic young people. Meanwhile, the young people also shouted condemning slogans in some newspapers, which did not take as much space as the beauty contest at the time.

The intervention of the police forces was insufficient. At that time Mustafa Kemal was in Istanbul. He allegedly that the doctor in Beyoglu and had his teeth done. He had heard of the noise and then asked what was happening and learned the subject ler From there, pull the police officers and the gendarmes. One of the children should not be the beginning of anything, "he said. Approximately 30 people were detained in the demonstrations and they would be released immediately.

From Vagon-Li to andaş Citizen Speak Turkish Campaign V

Following the events, on 26 February, Cumhuriyet newspaper lead author Yunus Nadi would evaluate the event as follows in his article published under the heading 'Hadise under the Board of Sleeping Cars':

"Turkey is no institution working in the language spoken here necessarily is something he can not argue. This capitulation of repealing (repealing) is not a situation particular to Turkey. It is a state that exists in every civilized and independent country of the world and its draft is very natural. Foreign languages ​​are only tolerated in every civilized and independent country. So. Otherwise, it is never permissible to claim a domination in any civil and detached country of any foreign language, not even in a public center such as the management of sleeping cars, or even in a few compartments of the sleeping car. French can also be spoken at the Sleeper Company. But assuming the security (prohibition) of speaking Turkish there is only imperative or foolish ... ”

After the incidents, the company restarted Naci Bey, while he dismissed company investigators Jannoni, who came from Belgium and examined the incident. Meanwhile, the Vagon-Li staff was completely replaced and the number of Turkish officials increased. In the days when the national feelings peaked, the “Citizen Speak Turkish” campaign was launched as in 1928. Thereupon, many foreign companies around Taksim and Karaköy, where minorities lived intensely, had to replace their names with Turkish names. Wagon-Li company was later nationalized like many foreign companies remaining from the Ottoman Empire era.