Ataturk and Modern Turkey
Ataturk is the national hero of
Turkey. He has founded the modern Turkish Republic out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire;
an empire that is seen as the sick man of Europe at the turn of the century. His modern
perspective created a new nation and a country, and a secular state understanding
different from most other Islamic countries was introduced by him. Once you step in
Turkey, you will see his statues and the busts all over. One of the best books written
about Ataturk from a foreigner's point of view is the book titled " The Rebirth of a
Nation" by Lord Kinross.
He was born in the year 1881 in
Thessaloniki, within the Ottoman Empire's borders at that time, in Greece at present . His
full name was Mustafa Kemal and the Ataturk surname, meaning the father of Turks, was
given to him by the Turkish people (1934 November 24th.) in accordance with his reforms he
has introduced to create a modern Turkish country.
His background is of military, and he
served at various posts in the Ottoman army. In the First World War , he was the colonel
in charge of Infantry at Gallipoli in 1915 and it is his genious defense tactics that did
not give way to the allied forces ( British, French, Anzacs - Australians and New
Zealenders and Senegalese) for the capture of Dardanelles and eventually Bosphorus.
His success and fastly growing
reputation disturbed the capital and to keep him under control he was promoted to the
Pasha ( General ) position. When the War ended the armies of the allied forces occupied
nearly all corners of the country including Istanbul. Sultan and not a very small number
of the public saw the hopeful future in the acceptance of either the British or American
mandate. Ataturk, however, had a very different vision from the many. He left Istanbul
with a small boat, namely Bandirma ( a nice model of the boat to be seen at the Ataturk
Museum in Ataturk's Mausoleum, Ankara), and stepping foot on Samsun, a coastal town in the
Black Sea, on the 19th. of May 1919 ( later to be presented by Ataturk to the Turkish
Youth as the Turkish Youth Day), the War of Independence started. He wanted Independence.
First with skirmishes , in time with
proper army troops, Ataturk and his armfriends' armies started fighting the enemy. Ankara
was chosen to be Ataturk's headquarter for its central location and the seeds of a new
country were planted there. He and his friends wanted to establish a Republic as opposed
to the Monarchy. The War of Independence took some three years and by the end of the year
1922, all of the invaders had left the country. The Ottoman Sultan fled with a British
boat. A new nation was starting to be born.
Ataturk's Revolutions
Political Revolutions
The Sultanete was abolished in 1922,
November 1st.
The Republic was declared in 1923, October 23rd.
The Caliphship was abolished in 1924, March 3rd.
Social Reformations
Hat was introduced. Fez was abolished.
(1925)
The activities of religious sects were banned by law. ( 1925)
Western calender was introduced. ( 1925)
International numeric system was introduced. ( 1928)
The Metric system was introduced. ( 1931)
The nicknames and personal titles were abolished. ( 1934)
Religious attire was prohibited in public ( 1934). According to this law, religious
personalities, irrespective of the religious groups they belong were not to wear religious
attire in public but only in their sanctuaries.
The surname law.( 1934)
The modern secular system of jurisprudence is instead of religious law is integrated.(
1926)
The liberation of the women of Turkey by giving them political and social rights.
a) Rights brought with medeni kanun ( 1926)
b) Rights for women to be elected for the parliment Educational and Cultural Reformations
Unity in Education ( 1924 )
Introduction and the acceptance of the Roman alphabeth. ( 1928 )
The foundation of Turkish History Institution
The foundation of Turkish Language Institution
The Principles of Ataturk (
Kemalism)
This is a system of thought based on
the facts of Turkey. It is shaped with the will of the Turkish nation through a long
historical background. Above all, Kemalism is the introduction and the rendering of the
rights to the nation. It is the expression of the national sovereignity.It is an attempt
to reach the level of the modern civilizations, it is westernization, modernization. It
requires to experience a modern social life, to establish a secular state, and to govern
with a positive science mentality. The principles of Kemalism can be viewed in two groups:
"The Basic Principles" and "The Complementary Principles". The
definition of the principles as Ataturk has expressed them: The Basic Principles
Republicanism Nationalism Popularism Etatism Secularism Revolutionism The Complementary
Principles National Sovereignity National Independance National Unitiy and Togetherness
Peace at home Peace abroad Modernization Scientificism and Rationalism Humanitarianism.
Address to the Turkish Youth
Turkish youth! Your first duty is to
project and preserve the Turkish independence and the Turkish Republic forever . This is
the very foundation of your existence and your future. This foundation is your most
precious treasure. In the future, too, there may be malovelent people at home and abroad,
who wish to deprive you of this treasure.
If some day you are compelled to
defend your independence and your republic, you must not tarry to weigh the possibilities
and circumstances of the situation before taking up your duty. These possibilities and
circumstances may turn out to be extremely unfavorable. The enemies conspiring against
your independence and your Republic may have behind them a victory unprecedented in the
annals of the world. By violence and ruse, all the fortresses of your beloved fatherland
may be captured, all its shipyards occupied, all its armies dispersed and every part of
the country invaved. And sadder and graver than all these circumstances, those who hold
power within the country may be in error, misguided and may even be traitors. Furthermore,
they may identify their personal interests with the political designs of the invaders. The
country may be impoverished, ruined and exhausted.
You, the youth of Turkey's future,
even in such circumstances, it is your duty to save the Turkish independence and Republic.
The strength you need is in your noble blood within your veins.
