Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the
founder of the Turkish Republic and its first
President, stands as a towering figure of the 20th
Century. Among the great leaders of history, few
have achieved so much in so short period,
transformed the life of a nation as decisively,
and given such profound inspiration to the world
at large.
Emerging as a
military hero at the Dardanelles in 1915, he
became the charismatic leader of the Turkish
national liberation struggle in 1919. He blazed
across the world scene in the early 1920s as a
triumphant commander who crushed the invaders of
his country. Following a series of impressive
victories against all odds, he led his nation to
full independence. He put an end to the
antiquated Ottoman dynasty whose tale had lasted
more than six centuries - and created the
Republic of Turkey in 1923, establishing a new
government truly representative of the nation's
will.
As President for 15
years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk introduced a broad range of swift and
sweeping reforms - in the political, social,
legal, economic, and cultural spheres - virtually
unparalleled in any other country.
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, Nehru, de
Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, 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".
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