Who was Atatürk?
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the republic and the first president of Turkey, is also the most beloved figure of the modern era in Turkey. The influence of Atatürk and his policies on Turkey's destiny was so great that he is still regarded as the best-known and most famous person of this country. He was born in 1881 and died in 1938.
In this article we look at the biography and life story of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, from childhood to his death, covering all aspects of his personal and political life and the important steps he took for Turkey's economic, cultural and political progress.
Atatürk's birth, childhood and youth
Mustafa, the son of "Ali Rıza Efendi" and "Zübeyde Hanım", was born in 1881 in the city of "Salonica" (Thessaloniki), in what is now northern Greece and was then part of the Ottoman Empire.
His father was an Ottoman government employee and his mother came from a farming family. The religious differences and outlooks of Mustafa's parents greatly influenced his life and views. Mustafa's mother came from a very religious family, while his father held modern views and ideas. The first effect of these differences on Atatürk's life, when he still had no name but Mustafa, showed in his schooling: he first studied at a religious school and then, at his father's request, at a secular state school. Mustafa lost his father very early, in childhood, and lived for a while with his uncle in another city. After a short time, however, he returned to his own city and continued his studies. In 1893 he continued his education at a military high school, and from there he took his first steps toward a military and political life that would shape his country. At this school, Mustafa's mathematics teacher, seeing the maturity ("kemal") in his character, added the name Kemal to his name, and he had now become Mustafa Kemal.
Mustafa Kemal completed his studies at the military school on 11 January 1905, earning the rank of captain. Atatürk fought for his country as a commander in several wars.
After the First World War and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Turkey was founded by Atatürk in 1923, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was elected the first president of Turkey on 29 October 1923.
During his 15 years as president of Turkey, his actions shaped Turkey's destiny so strongly that he became the most beloved person in Turkey. Among Atatürk's actions, which also met with a great deal of opposition, are the following:
Separation of religion from politics
Legalising the right to vote for women
Changing the writing of the Turkish language from the Arabic script to Latin
Banning the use of titles such as Hazrat, Janab, Efendi and so on in official documents and correspondence
Political changes such as abolishing the sultanate
Granting equal rights to women and men
The law making the use of family names compulsory
Creating model farms and boosting agriculture
Founding industrial institutions and more…
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