Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881 – 1938)
Born in 1881 in Salonika (now known as Thessaloniki) during the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Kemal became a leader, visionary, military statesman, president, and hero during his 57-year life. At the tender age of 12, his father, a timber merchant sent him to military school where he graduated in 1905. Just 7 years later, he was sent to Libya to fight the Italians before moving on to serve in the Balkans from 1912 – 1913. It wasn’t until 1915 when the allies invaded the Dardenelles, in what is now known as the World War I battle at Gallipoli, that Mustafa Kemal established his military reputation and prowess and became a War and National hero.
In May 1919, Mustafa Kemal began a nationalist revolution focused on resisting Greek attempts to seize (modern day) Izmir in the west, and Armenia in the east. After victory in Sakarya in September 1921, Kemal was promoted, and given the title ‘Ghazi.’ A year later, the Turkish military had regained control of Izmir, and just two months prior to the commencement of the Conference of Lausanne. Soon after, the Ottoman Sultanate was abolished, and Turkey’s borders formed.
On 29th October 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk named its rightful leader.
As president, Mustafa Kemal launched numerous revolutionary social and political reform programs to modernise the new republic. This included the emancipation of women, calendar, the abolition of all Islamic institutions and introduction of western legal codes, a completely revised alphabet and language (replacing Arabic script with Latin) plus more. The achievements of Mustafa Kemal are almost beyond belief, and in 1935, when surnames were introduced in Turkey, he was given the name ‘Ataturk,’ meaning ‘father of the Turks.’
He died on 10th November 1938. Each year on the anniversary of his passing, the country observes a minute silence.
" There are two Mustafa Kemal’s. One of the flesh and bone Mustafa Kemal who now stands before you and who will pass away. The other is you, all of you here who will go to the far corners of our land to spread the ideals, which must be defended with your lives if necessary. I stand for the nation’s dreams, and my life’s work is to make them come true" - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
