ATATURK... FATHER of the TURKS

Who is he? A dictator? A man who changed the fate of his people and created a new modern society from the ashes of an empire? A hero who defeated all the imperialist powers in his own country and woke the third world countries up to get their freedoms? In fact, I know the answers of all these questions and I’m going to try to tell you why he is so important for us? You may think that I’m not objective. Yes! I admit! I can’t be objective about him. He is the one who gave me all that I have in my life. That’s why he is the father of Turks. Today I will talk about a hero and a revolutioner who lives in the heart of his people.

A HERO

He was born in Salonika in Ottoman Empire. As an army officer during the First World War he fought against the English, Russian and French armies. Following the defeat of the Ottomans in the First World War the land of the empire was divided by Allies. To defend his motherland he led Turkish nationalist movement in the Independence war. He created a new assembly against the Sultan of the empire in Ankara (the capital of the modern Turkey). During the Independence war, as an army commander he defeated the Greek and British Armies in several battlefields.

Following the defeat of the imperialist powers, he overthrew the Sultan of the empire and formed a secular, democratic, nation-state in Anatolia.

A REVOLUTIONER

To create a new modern society he started with the social reforms such as abolishing Islamic justice and adopted western law system. He made it law that women could wear their own choice of clothes. To secularize the society he banned all the religious symbols from public areas. He introduced the democratic system and elections. (Thanks to him the Turkish women could get the voting right even before the French women)

The first female MPs of the Turkish Parliament (1935)

The new modern Turkey gets its neighbors’ attention in the Middle East. The countries such as Iran, Iraq and Syria started to try getting their freedom from United Kingdom. The Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi tried to do the same reforms in his country. In Egypt, the nationalist movement tried to overthrew the King who is supported by the United Kingdom.  In his leadership Turkey became the major power of the Middle East.

You may think that I’m exaggerating but to understand me you should visit Turkey and talk to people.