Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Hero
- Peacemaker - Role Model
LIFE
AS A YOUTH ...
Birth
Country
TURKEY [map]
TURKEY [map]
Birth
City
Salonica, then an Ottoman city, now in Greece.
Salonica, then an Ottoman city, now in Greece.
LIFE
AS AN ADULT ...
Gender
Male
Male
1900-Present
He was born in 1881 (probably in the spring) in Salonica, then an Ottoman city, now in Greece. His father Ali Riza, a customs official turned lumber merchant, died when Mustafa was still a boy. His mother Zubeyde, a devout and strong-willed woman, raised him and his sister. In 1893, he entered a military high school where his mathematics teacher gave him the second name Kemal (meaning perfection) in recognition of young Mustafa's superior achievement. He was thereafter known as Mustafa Kemal. In 1905, Mustafa Kemal graduated from the War Academy in Istanbul with the rank of Staff Captain. Posted in Damascus, he started with several colleagues, a clandestine society called "Homeland and Freedom" to fight against the Sultan's despotism. In 1908 he helped the group of officers who toppled the Sultan. Mustafa Kemal's career flourished as he won his heroism in the far corners of the Ottoman Empire, including Albania and Tripoli. He also briefly served as a staff officer in Salonica and Istanbul and as a military attache in Sofia. On May 19, 1919, Mustafa Kemal Pasha landed in the Black Sea port of Samsun to start the War of Independence. Fighting on many fronts, he led his forces to victory against rebels and invading armies. Following the Turkish triumph at the two major battles at Inonu in Western Turkey, the Grand National Assembly conferred on Mustafa Kemal Pasha the title of Commander-in-Chief with the rank of Marshal. In July 1923, the national government signed the Lausanne Treaty with Great Britain, France, Greece, Italy, and others. In mid-October, Ankara became the capital of the new Turkish State. On October 29, the Republic was proclaimed and Mustafa Kemal Pasha was unanimously elected President of the Republic. The account of Atatürk's fifteen year Presidency is a saga of dramatic modernization. With indefatigable determination he created a new political and legal system, abolished the Caliphate and made both government and education secular, gave equal rights to women, changed the alphabet and the attire, and advanced the arts and the sciences, agriculture and industry In 1934, when the surname law was adopted, the national parliament gave him the name "Atatürk" (Father of the Turks). On November 10, 1938, following an illness of a few months, the national liberator and the Father of modern Turkey died. But his legacy to his people and to the world endures. His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to Atatürk. Emerging nations admire him as a pioneer of national liberation. The world honors his memory as a foremost peacemaker who upheld the principles of humanism and the vision of a united humanity. Tributes have been offered to him through the decades by such world statesmen as Lloyd George, Churchill, Roosevelt, Kennedy, and countless others. A White House statement, issued on the occasion of "The Atatürk Centennial" in 1981, pays homage to him as "a great leader in times of war and peace". It is fitting that there should be high praise for Atatürk, an extraordinary leader of modern times, who said in 1933: "I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and friendship
Submitted by: Ercan from Turkey.
AS
A PEACEMAKER ...
Heroic
Characteristics of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Characteristics of
Heroes
Strong character and belief system
Personal power thru example and deeds
Advocate of Human Rights
Promote nonviolence
/ Oppose violence
Support justice / Confront Injustice
Advocate Freedom & Democracy
/ Oppose Oppression
Lead others / Teach others / Become involved
Manage conflict by building relationships
Manage conflict by solving problems
Strong character and belief system
Personal power thru example and deeds
Advocate of Human Rights
Promote nonviolence
/ Oppose violence
Support justice / Confront Injustice
Advocate Freedom & Democracy
/ Oppose Oppression
Lead others / Teach others / Become involved
Manage conflict by building relationships
Manage conflict by solving problems
Awards & Acknowledgements
