ATATURK

By: Rahman SEKER

Ataturk was founder of the Turkish Republic and the first president of the republic. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in Salonika in 1881. He was the Chief of Staff of the Army Corps which entered Istanbul in 1909. He started to work under the Command of General Staff in 1911. In 1915, when Dardanelles campaign was launched, Colonel Mustafa Kemal became a national hero by winning successive victories and finally repelling the invaders. At the time of the Ottoman Empire, he attended to Tripoli War, the Balkans War and the First World War. When the Ottoman Empire succumbed to the First World War, Mondros Armistice Treaty was signed. This is the beginning of the invasion of the territory of the motherland in accordance with the Treaty. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk went to Samsun and launched the national challenge on 19 May 1919. After he published Havza and Amasya memorandums, he established Rumeli and Anatolia Law Society with Sivas Congress and combined under one roof all national community. After Sivas Congress, he met Istanbul Government which represented the Ottoman Empire. Thus, Istanbul Government was officially recognized the existence of the representation in the Committee. He led the Grand National Assembly in Ankara, Turkey and he was elected President of the Grand National Assembly. He managed great attack in Kocatepe, Afyon and he said that “Soldiers! The first target is the Mediterranean, Forward!” to encourage Turkish Soldiers. In July 1923, the national government signed the Lausanne Treaty with Great Britain, France, Greece, Italy. Then, Ankara became the capital of the new Turkish State. Ataturk married Latife Usakligil in 1923. After two years, the marriage ended in divorce. He created a new political and legal system, abolished the Caliphate and made both government and education secular, gave equal rights to women, changed the alphabet and the attire, and advanced the arts and the sciences, agriculture and industry. When the surname law was adopted, the national parliament gave him the name “Ataturk” in 1934. It means Father of the Turks. On November 10, 1938, the Father of modern Turkey died, but his legacy to his people and to the world endures.