Draft:Atatürk

Atatürk
File:Atatürk.jpg
name	Atatürk
Personal details
religion	Islam

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Mustafa Kemal Atatürk; 1881 – 10 November 1938) was an Ottoman and Turkish reformer, statesman, administrator, and military leader; the founder and first leader of the Turkish Republican People's Party; the first President of the Republic of Turkey, and the founder of the modern Turkish state.

Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I (October 1918), he led the national revolutionary movement and the War of Independence in Anatolia, bringing about the dissolution of the Sultan's government and the occupying regime. He established a new republican state based on nationalism ("national sovereignty") and implemented numerous serious political, social, and cultural reforms, including: the abolition of the monarchy (1 November 1922), the proclamation of the Republic (29 October 1923), the abolition of the Caliphate (3 March 1924), the introduction of secular education, the closure of Sufi orders, dress reform (1925), the adoption of new penal and civil codes based on European models (1926), the Romanization of the alphabet, the purification of the Turkish language from Arabic and Persian loanwords, the separation of religion from the state (1928), the granting of voting rights to women, the abolition of feudal titles and forms of address, the introduction of surnames (1934), and the establishment of national banks and industries. As President of the Grand National Assembly (1920–1923) and subsequently (from 29 October 1923) as President of the Republic—a position to which he was re-elected every four years—and as the undisputed chairman of the Republican People's Party which he founded, he attained absolute authority and dictatorial powers in Turkey.

Biography

He was born on 19 May 1881 in the city of Thessaloniki, in present-day northern Greece, which at the time was part of the Ottoman Empire. He initially joined the Ottoman Army and fought against the Italians in Tripoli, Libya. In the first decade of the 20th century, Atatürk, along with a group of Turkish officers known as the Young Turks, consolidated the foundations for reforms in the army and government in favor of Turkish nationalism. He rose to the rank of commander during the Balkan Wars and, in 1916, resisted the British at the Dardanelles Strait and the Gallipoli Peninsula, preventing the occupation of Istanbul by British and Allied forces during World War I. He later fought on the Russian front.

In World War I, the Ottoman state was defeated, and many regions in North Africa, the Hejaz, Syria, and Iraq fell to British and French forces. Parts of Eastern Europe also gained independence with the support of the war victors. Toward the end of World War I, Turkey faced invasions from France and Italy from the south and Greece from the east. Atatürk assumed leadership of the Turkish War of Independence. By the end of World War I, the people of Turkey had grown weary of the incompetence of Caliph Mehmed VI and the Ottoman system, and Atatürk took charge of the uprising against the Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire. In 1923, modern Turkey was established as a republic by nationalists and groups fighting against occupation. From that date until his death in 1938, Atatürk served as the President of Turkey.

Actions of Atatürk

His struggle against the clergy, the unveiling of women, and the mandatory adoption of European clothing were among his dictatorial measures. He also suppressed nomadic tribes; however, it was not long before Atatürk's deep conviction in the necessity of modernization provoked the anger of the Turkish clergy, leading to protests in various parts of Turkey (including the Sheikh Said Rebellion in 1925, which attacked Diyarbakır due to the abolition of the Caliphate and its perceived contradiction with Islam). Other notable actions included the promotion of Turkish nationalism, the separation of religion from politics, the legalization of women's suffrage, and the change of the Turkish script from Arabic to Latin.

In his message to the youth of Turkey, Atatürk stated:

".Bu Cumhuriyeti Biz Kurduk Onu Yaşatacak ve Yüceltecek Sizlersiniz," meaning: "We (the National Forces) established this Republic; its survival and elevation depend on you."

One of Atatürk's significant and effective actions was ending the conflict between Muslims and Christians; during this period, following Atatürk's order, the Hagia Sophia mosque was permanently converted into a museum. Nelson Mandela, the hero of the struggle against racism, refused to accept the "Atatürk Peace Prize" in 1992 due to the oppression of Kurds in Turkey.

İsmet İnönü and Atatürk

During World War I, İsmet İnönü held the rank of major in the Ottoman Army; following successive victories, he was promoted to general and, with the founding of the Republic of Turkey, assumed the office of Prime Minister. He was a shrewd politician, regarded as the intellectual brain behind Atatürk. During Atatürk's era, he served as Prime Minister multiple times and headed the government until Atatürk's death, administering the country in his name. During World War II, considering Turkey's economic situation, İnönü kept his country out of the war. Many observers note that he stood alone against politicians favoring entry into the war, stating, "We must wait until the outcome of the war becomes clear. If the victory of the Allies is certain, only then shall we enter the war."

Death

Kemal Atatürk died on November 10, 1938. His mausoleum (known as Anıtkabir) is located in the city of Ankara. Every year at 9:05 a.m. on November 10, a one-minute silence ceremony is held to commemorate the death of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, followed by the ringing of school bells and the sounding of sirens at military bases at 9:06 a.m. (the moment of his passing).

References

Adapted from the article "Who Was Mustafa Kemal Pasha" on Bartarinha website