ABSTRACT
One important development in national consolidation between the years 1928 and 1938 was the exchange of populations. The fatal weakness of the Ottoman Empire, the Christian minorities, who hankered after independence and who would not become good Turkish citizens, was eradicated once and for all. Following the Khurdish revolt in 1925 and the suppression of the Liberals and remnants of the Young Turks in 1926, Turkey became for a time a totalitarian state. All power was virtually concentrated in the hands of Mustafa Kemal. All through the period of dictatorship, which started after the Khurdish revolt, Mustafa Kemal made attempts to experiment in democracy, but always withdrew his experiment and tried to introduce reforms and changes by paternal exhortation and pressure. The idea of co-operation of all Turkish-speaking people, Turks of the Republic, Tartars of Azerbaijan in the Caucasus and North Persia and Uzbegs of Turkestan, never got beyond such practical measures as interchange of literature and mutual visits.
