Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938)
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born in a three-storey pink house on Islahhane Street, in the Kocakasim District, in Salonika in 1881. His father was Ali Riza Efendi and his mother was Zübeyde Hanim. His paternal grandfather, Hafiz Efendi, was a member of the Kocacik Nomads, from the Konya and Aydin regions, which had settled in Macedonia during 14th-15th centuries. His mother, Zübeyde Hanim, also a daughter of an old Turkish family, settled in the town of Langasa, near Salonika. Ali Riza Efendi, who worked in various areas including employment as a military officer, a pious foundation clerk and, for some time, a timber merchant, married with Zübeyde Hanim in 1871. Four of Atatürk's five siblings died at an early age. Only his sister, Makbule Atadan, survived and lived until 1956.
Little Mustafa commenced his education in Hafiz Mehmet Efendi's neighbourhood school. Later, upon his father's wishes, he was transferred to Semsi Efendi School. In 1888, while he was still in primary education, his father passed away. For a while, he stayed on his uncle's farm in Rapla. He later returned to Salonika in order to complete his primary education. He enrolled to the Salonika Junior High School for Civil Servants. After a short period of time in 1893, he transferred to the Military Junior High School. It was at this school that his mathematics teacher, Mustafa Bey, added Kemal to his name. In 1899, Mustafa Kemal finished his education in the Monastir Military Senior High School and moved to Istanbul, so as to join the Military College. In 1902, he graduated with the rank of Lieutenant, and continued his education in the Military Academy. In January 1905, he completed the Academy, and graduated with the rank of Captain. His first appointment was in 5 Army in Damascus, between 1905 and 1907. He was promoted to Adjutant Major in 1907, and was appointed to the 3 Army in the Monastery. He was the Chief of Staff of the Army Corps which entered Istanbul on the 19th April of 1909. He was sent to France in 1910, and took part in the Picardie Manoeuvres. In 1911, he returned to Istanbul and began to work under the command of the General Staff.
In 1911, Italy began attacking Tripoli, Libya, causing war to break out: Mustafa Kemal and a group of friends took part in the Tobruk and Derna Fronts during the war to defend Libya against the Italians. He won the Battle of Tobruk against the Italian forces on the 22nd of December 1911. He was then appointed to the Derna Front as the Commander-in-Chief on 6 March 1912.
When the Balkan War started in October 1912, Mustafa Kemal joined the battle with units in Gelibolu (Gallipoli) and Bolayir. He greatly contributed to the retrieval of Edirne and Dimetoka (Dhidhimotikhon). In 1913, he was appointed to Sofia as the Military Attache. During his assignment in Sofia he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. His duty as the military attache ended in January 1915. During his stay in Sofia, the First World War had started and the Ottoman Empire had become obliged to take part. Mustafa Kemal was appointed to Tekirdag, so as to organize the 19th Division.
It is in the First World War, which started in 1914, that Mustafa Kemal wrote a heroic epic and created the legend of Dardanelles, which was said to be 'impassable' for the Entente troops in Gallipoli. On 18 March 1915, when British and French navies failed to break in through the Straits of Dardanelles, and suffered heavy casualties in the process, the decision to land troops on the Gallipoli peninsula had been given. Under the command of Mustafa Kemal, the 19th Division halted the enemy forces, which landed in Ariburnu, which is now called Anzak Koyu (Anzac Cove), on the 25th of April 1915 at Conkbayir. Mustafa Kemal was promoted to Full Colonel after this great success. British forces started attacking again from Ariburnu on 6th of August 1915. Mustafa Kemal, who was the Anafartalar Group Commander at the time, led his troops to victory in the Battle of Anafartalar, which took place between the 9th and 10th of August. Following this, he was also victorious in the Battle of Kirectepe on the 17th August and Second Battle of Anafartalar on the 21 of August. The Turkish nation defended her honour in Gallipoli (Battle of Canakkale) against Entente States. During this heroic defence, Turkish forces lost around 253,000 of their soldiers to martyrdom. Mustafa Kemal's famous order to his soldiers, "I do not order you to attack, I order you to die" had changed the destiny of this Front.
In 1916 after Gallipoli, Mustafa Kemal took duties in Edirne and Diyarbakir. He was promoted to brigadier general on the 1st of April 1916. He took part in the battles against Russian forces in which Mus and Bitlis were liberated. After short duties in Damascus and Aleppo, he returned to Istanbul in 1917. He went to Germany with Heir Apparent Prince Vahdeddin Efendi for observations in the European Western Front. He fell ill after this trip and received treatment in Vienna and Carlsbad. He returned to the Front on the 15th of August 1918, as the Commander-in-Chief of the 7 Army in Aleppo. In this Front, he achieved one of the most successful defensive battles in history, against British forces. Following his success, he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Lightning Army Group on 31st of October 1918, just one day after the signing of the truce in Moudros. After the abolishment of this Army Group, he was appointed for a duty in the Ministry of War in Istanbul on 13th of November 1918.
After the beginning of the occupation of the country, and demobilization of the Ottoman forces, as per the agreement signed on the Moudros Treaty, Mustafa Kemal arrived in Samsun on the 19th of May 1919, as the Inspector General of the 9 Army. On the 22nd of June 1919, he issued the Amasya Circular, declaring that the nation's determination and decision would restore the nation's independence. He called for the gathering of the Congress in Erzurum and Sivas. Between the 23rd of July and the 7th of August 1919, delegates from all over the country gathered in Erzurum. They met once again between the 4th of September and the 11th of September 1919 in Sivas. The aim of these meetings was to determine the path to follow in order to gain nation's independence. On the 27th of December 1919, he was welcomed in Ankara with great enthusiasm. The 23rd of April 1920, the first day of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, was one of the most important steps on the way to the founding of the Turkish Republic. Mustafa Kemal was elected as the first Speaker of the House and as the Head of the Government. The Turkish Grand National Assembly started preparing and passing the new laws which were necessary for implementing the Independence War successfully.
The Turkish Independence War was started when the first bullet was fired against the enemy during the occupation of Izmir by the Greek forces on the 15th of May 1919. The effective victors of the First World War, which were determined through the signing of the Treaty of Sevres, began the occupation of their shares of the Ottoman Empire. At the beginning, resistance against occupation forces started with militia forces, namely the Kuva-i Milliye (National Forces). The Turkish Grand National Assembly established the regular army and successfully led the Independence War to victory by integrating the militia forces into the regular army.
The key stages of the Independence War under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal were as follows:
- Liberation of Sarikamis (20th of September 1920), Kars (30th of October 1920) and Gümrü (7th of November 1920).
- Defences of Cukurova, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa and Kahraman Maras (1919-1920).
- Victory at the First Battle of Inönü (6-10th of January 1920).
- Victory at the Second Battle of Inönü (23rd ofMarch-1st of April 1920).
- Victory at the Battle of Sakarya (23rd of August-13th of September 1921).
- Great Offensive, Battle of Dumlupinar (Battle of Commander-in-Chief) and the Great (Final) Victory (26th of August-9th of September 1922).
After the victory at the Battle of Sakarya, the Turkish Grand National Assembly promoted Mustafa Kemal to the rank of Field Marshal and granted him the title of Gazi-the Victorious Fighter. The Independence War was ended by the Lausanne Peace Treaty on the 24th of July 1923. Thus, all the impediments of the Sevres Agreement had been removed and the vast area of Turkish land that had been lost through the signing of the Treaty of Sevres had been regained through the signing of this new agreement. There were no obstructions left on the path to establishing the new Turkish State which was to be based on national solidarity. The founding of the Turkish Republic had been heralded by the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 23rd of April 1920. The National Assembly's successful administration during the Independence War had secured the founding of the new Turkish State. The Caliphate and Sultanate (monarchy) were separated. The Sultanate was eventually on the 1st of November 1922. Therefore, the administrative ties with the Ottoman Empire were broken. The declaration of the Republic was made on the 29th of October 1923 and Mustafa Kemal was unanimously elected as the first President of the Republic. Ismet Inönü formed the first government of the Republic on the 30th of October 1923. With these developments having been made, sovereignty now unconditionally belongs to the Nation. Peace at home as well as world peace became fundamental to the Turkish Republic.
Atatürk made many reforms in order to bring Turkey to the level of contemporary civilizations. Those reforms can be put under five main topics:
1. Political Reforms
- Abolishment of the Sultanate (1st of November 1922)
- Declaration of the Republic (29th of October 1923)
- Abolishment of Caliphate (3rd of March 1924)
2. Social Reforms
- Women were given equal rights with men (1926-1934)
- The Revolution of Headgear and Outfit (25th of November 1925)
- Closing of dervish lodges and shrines (30th of November 1925)
- The surname law (21st of June 1934)
- Abolishment of nicknames, pious and royal titles (26th of November 1934)
- Adoption of the International calendar, time and measurements (1925-1931)
3. Juridical Reforms
- Abolishment of the Canon Law (1924-1937)
- Instating the new Turkish Civil Code and other legislation to suit secular order (1924 - 1937)
4. Educational and Cultural Reforms
- Integration of education (3rd of March 1924)
- Adoption of the new Turkish alphabet (1st of November 1928)
- Establishment of the Turkish Language and Historical Societies (1931-1932)
- Organization of the university education (31st of May 1933).
- Innovations in fine arts
5. Economical Reforms
- Abolishment of old taxation laws.
- Encouragement of the farmers.
- Establishment of model farms.
- Legislation of the Encouragement of the Industry Law and establishment of Industrial Corporations.
- Implementing First and Second Development Plans (1933-1937), construction of new highways to reach every corner of the country.
In accordance with the new surname law, the Turkish Grand National Assembly granted Mustafa Kemal with the surname Atatürk on the 24th of November 1934.
Atatürk had been elected twice as the Speaker of the House (National Assembly), on the 24th of April 1920 and 13th of August 1923. His chairmanship at that time was equal to the Head of State and the Government combined. On the 29th of October 1923, the Republic was declared and Atatürk was elected as the first President of the Republic. According to the Constitution, Presidential elections were to be held every four years. Atatürk had been re-elected as the President of the Republic in 1927, 1931 and 1935 by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Atatürk very frequently used to go for fact-finding trips in the country. He kept in contact with local authorities and directed them personally in every occasion. As the President of the Republic, he received visiting foreign presidents, premiers, ministers and commanders with great respect and authority.
Atatürk gave his Great Speech between the 15th and the 20th of October 1927, in which he described the Independence War and Founding of Republic. He then made his 10th Year Speech on the 29th of October 1933.
Atatürk was very modest in his private life. He married his wife, Latife Hanim, on the 29th of January 1923. Together, they had many trips around the country. Their marriage lasted until the 5th of August 1925. As a great lover of children, Atatürk adopted his daughters Afet (Inan), Sabiha (Gökcen), Fikriye, Ülkü, Nebile, Rukiye, Zehra, and his son Mustafa, who was a young shepherd boy. He also had two children under his protection, Abdurrahim and Ihsan. He secured a good life and future for these children, all of whom survived.
In 1937, he donated his farms to the State Treasury and some of his real estate to the Ankara and Bursa Municipality Councils. He divided his inheritance among his sister, his adopted children, and the Turkish Language and Historical Societies. In his spare time, he enjoyed reading, listening music, dancing, horse riding and swimming. He was very interested in the Western Anatolian folk dance Zeybek, wrestling and listening to Rumelia songs. He had great pleasure in playing backgammon and billiards. As an animal lover, he valued his horse, Sakarya, and his dog, Fox, very much. He also built up a very rich library of his own, showing his passion for literature. He used to invite statesmen, scholars and scientists to dinners and discuss state affairs with them. He was very particular about his appearance and was smartly dressed all the times. He was also a lover of nature. He frequently visited his farm, Atatürk Orman Ciftligi, (Atatürk Forest Farm) and took part at the works in person. It is also worth noting that Atatürk was proficient in French and German.
On the 10th of November 1938, at 9.05 in the morning, in Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul, he died of the liver ailment he was suffering from. He was buried with a ceremonial funeral in a temporary place of rest at the Ethnographical Museum in Ankara on the 21st of November 1938. After the building of Anitkabir (Atatürk's Mausoleum), he was taken to his permanent place of rest with a grand ceremony on the 10th of November 1953.