Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - (1881-1938) Turkish politician and military leader, the first president and founder of the Republic of Turkey, the most famous and main reformer of Turkey, thanks to whom Turkey was able to overcome the crisis and gained a democratic statehood.


On May 19 (according to other sources, March 12), 1881, in the Greek city of Thessaloniki (at that time it was a province of the Ottoman Empire), a boy was born in a three-story pink house. He was given the name Mustafa. Nickname Kemal, which means "perfection", received later, in a military school. The child was white-skinned, blue-eyed, blond.


His father, Mr. Ali Riza, served in customs supervision. Then he left this position and started selling wood, then selling salt. Ali Riza Efendi was a good-natured man, well educated for that time. The father earned little, so the family had a very modest income. Mother - Mrs. Zubaida very honored the Koran and was a sincere Muslim. There are versions that Zubaida Khanim was his aunt, who adopted the boy after the death of his own mother.


Atatürk's father was not particularly healthy, and soon fell seriously ill. He died in 1888 at the age of 50. After his death he left three children. They were: Mustafa (Kemal Ataturk), Makbul and Najie. Najie will die after some time, but Mustafa and Makbul will continue their lives. In the district of Ahmet Subashi, in an empty house, his family found themselves with almost no means of subsistence. Then Mustafa was 7 years old, and he was the only man in the house.


After he lost his father, he studied at the Shamsi Efendi School in Thessaloniki. In 1899 he entered the military college. In 1902 he entered the Istanbul General Staff Academy as an infantry lieutenant, and in 1905 he graduated from the Academy as a staff captain.


Atatürk was assigned to train with the 30th Cavalry in Haifa. Thus began his career as an officer. He took a sincere interest in his work and achieved success through his ability and love of teaching. Atatürk gained experiences here that were important for his later life. He read a lot, especially biographies of historical figures, and also got acquainted with the works of Voltaire, Rousseau. He saw the failures in public life, the lack of military training, the problems that people experience because of bad government.


At the end of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire was only a myth. The state administration was in a state of decay. Even Sultan Abdulhamid II tried to unite the state with her very cruel methods, but he did not succeed. The country plunged into great chaos. Türkiye was forced to retreat from the previously conquered territories.


Immediately after graduating from the Academy, Atatürk was accused of speaking out against the Sultan, arrested and exiled to Damascus, where he founded the Vatan party. This party is still very powerful and important in Turkey. He then participated in the 1908 revolution.


During the Balkan War in 1912-1913 he received the rank of major. He was appointed military attache in Sofia in 1913-1915. In the First World War, he successfully repelled enemy attacks. After the victory in Anafartalar, he gained fame as a hero of Anafarts.


After the capitulation of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, Atatürk saw how yesterday's allies began to plunder his homeland in parts. He called for the preservation and integrity of the country. The Treaty of Sevres signed in 1920, which secured the division of the country, Mustafa Kemal declared illegal. He then created a new parliament. Moved the capital to Ankara.


With the support and efforts of Atatürk, the Turkish Grand National Assembly began its historic mission in Ankara on April 23, 1920. Kemal was elected president of the parliament and government. Then there were the Turkish-Armenian and Greek-Turkish wars. The Greek army suffered heavy losses in this war, which lasted 22 days. With this victory, Atatürk was awarded the rank of marshal and the title of Ghazi by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.


The reforms carried out by the Turkish government in the 20s were based mainly on the example of Western Europe, so one of the first changes was the introduction of the Gregorian calendar (1925), the replacement of the Arabic alphabet with Latin (1928), the introduction of the decimal system of weights and measures (1933) . During the reigns of Atatürk and his successor Ismet İnönü, there was a one-party system. Since 1945 there has already been a multi-party system.


The introduction of surnames was also an important change. Mustafa Kemal himself chose the surname Atatürk, which means "Father of the Turks". This surname could not be worn by any other inhabitant of this country. Under his leadership, the interference of Islam in the politics of the state was limited. The Criminal Code began to operate, compulsory education for women was introduced, as well as laws guaranteeing them social and political equality.


Atatürk started the Five Year Industrial Plan in 1933 with the aim of alleviating the effects of the world economic depression in 1929 and accelerating the development of the country. He founded the model of a secular state.


Atatürk was elected president 4 times in a row until his death in 1938.