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**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Atatürk Life başlıklı yazı Mumsema Atatürk Life Forum Alev

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
1881 - 1938

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic and itsfirst President, stands as a towering figure of the 20th Century

Among the great leadersof history, few have achieved so much in so short period, transformed the life of a nationas decisively, and given such profound inspiration to the world at large

Emerging as a military hero at the Dardanelles in 1915, he became the charismaticleader of the Turkish national liberation struggle in 1919

He blazed across the worldscene in the early 1920s as a triumphant commander who crushed the invaders of hiscountry

Following a series of impressive victories against all odds, he led his nation tofull independence

He put an end to the antiquated Ottoman dynasty whose tale had lastedmore than six centuries - and created the Republic of Turkey in 1923, establishing a newgovernment truly representative of the nation's will

As President for 15 years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced abroad range of swift and sweeping reforms - in the political, social, legal, economic, andcultural spheres - virtually unparalleled in any other country

His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to Atatürk

Emerging nationsadmire him as a pioneer of national liberation

The world honors his memory as a foremostpeacemaker 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 LloydGeorge, Churchill, Roosevelt, Nehru, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, Kennedy, andcountless others

A White House statement, issued on the occasion of "The AtatürkCentennial" in 1981, pays homage to him as "a great leader in times ofwar and peace"

It is fitting that there should be high praise for Atatürk, anextraordinary leader of modern times, who said in 1933: "I look to the world withan open heart full of pure feelings and friendship"

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Atatürk's Life

"There are two Mustafa Kemals

One the flesh-and-blood Mustafa Kemal who nowstands before you and who will pass away

the other is you, all of you here who will go tothe far corners of our land to spread the ideals which must be defended with your lives ifnecessary

I stand for the nation's dreams, and my life's work is to make them cometrue

"

Atatürk stands as one of the world's few historic figures who dedicated their livestotally to their nations

He was born in 1881 (probably in the spring) in Salonica, then an Ottoman city, now inGreece

His father Ali Riza, a customs official turned lumber merchant, died when Mustafawas still a boy

His mother Zubeyde, adevout and strong-willed woman, raised him and his sister

First enrolled in a traditionalreligious school, he soon switched to a modern school

In 1893, he entered a military highschool 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 MustafaKemal

In 1905, Mustafa Kemal graduated from the War Academy in Istanbul with the rank ofStaff Captain

Posted in Damascus, he started with several colleagues, a clandestinesociety called "Homeland and Freedom" to fight against the Sultan'sdespotism

In 1908 he helped the group of officers who toppled the Sultan

Mustafa Kemal'scareer 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 andIstanbul and as a military attache in Sofia

In 1915, when Dardanelles campaign was launched, Colonel Mustafa Kemal became anational hero by winning successive victories and finally repelling the invaders

Promotedto general in 1916, at age 35, he liberated two major provinces in eastern Turkey thatyear

In the next two years, he served as commander of several Ottoman armies inPalestine, Aleppo, and elsewhere, achieving another major victory by stopping the enemyadvance at Aleppo

On May 19, 1919, Mustafa Kemal Pasha landed in the Black Sea port of Samsun to startthe War of Independence

In defiance of the Sultan's government, he rallied a liberationarmy in Anatolia and convened the Congress of Erzurum and Sivas which established thebasis for the new national effort under his leadership

On April 23, 1920, the GrandNational Assembly was inaugurated

Mustafa Kemal Pasha was elected to its Presidency

Fighting on many fronts, he led his forces to victory against rebels and invadingarmies

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 ofCommander-in-Chief with the rank of Marshal

At the end of August 1922, the Turkish armieswon their ultimate victory

Within a few weeks, the Turkish mainland was completelyliberated, the armistice signed, and the rule of the Ottoman dynasty abolished

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 newTurkish State

On October 29, the Republic was proclaimed and Mustafa Kemal Pasha wasunanimously elected President of the Republic

Atatürk married Latife Usakligil in early 1923

The marriage ended in divorce in 1925

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, abolishedthe 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, agricultureand 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 andthe Father of modern Turkey died

But his legacy to his people and to the world endures

Atatürk's body was re-interred in this splendid mausoleum in 1953

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

National Liberator

"This nation has never lived without independence

We cannot and shall not live without it

Either independence or death

"

Mustafa Kemal Pasha emerged as the national liberator of the Turks when the Ottoman Empire, carved up by the Western Powers, was in its death throes

Already a legendary hero of the Dardanelles and other fronts, he became in 1919 the leader of the Turkish emancipation

With a small and ill-equipped army, he repelled the invading enemy forces on the East, on the South, and on the West

He even had to contend with the Sultan's troops and local bands of rebels before he could gain complete control of the Turkish homeland

By September 1922, he had received one of history's most difficult triumphs against internal opposition and powerful external enemies

The liberator ranks among the world's greatest strategists and holds the rare distinction of having maintained a perfect military record consisting of only victories and no defeats

As the national struggle ended, the heroic leader proclaimed:" Following the military triumph we accomplished by bayonets, weapons and blood, we shall strive to win victories in such fields as culture, scholarship, science, and economics," adding that " the enduring benefits of victories depend only on the existence of an army of education

"

It is for his military victories and his cultural and socio-political reforms, which gave Turkey its new life, that the Turkish nation holds Atatürk in gratitude and reverence

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Founder of the Republic

"Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the people

"

October 29, 1923 is a fateful date in Turkish history

On that date

Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the liberator of his country, proclaimed the Republic of Turkey

The new homogeneous nation-state stood in sharp contrast to the multi-ethnic Ottoman Empire out of whose ashes it arose

The dynasty and theocratic Ottoman system, with its Sultanate and Caliphate, thus came to and end

Atatürk's Turkey dedicated itself to the sovereignty of the national will - to the creation of, in President's words, "the state of the people "

The Republic swiftly moved to put an end to the so-called "Capitulations ", the special rights and privileges that the Ottomans had granted to some European powers

The New Turkey's ideology was, and remains, "Kemalism", later known as "Atatürkism"

Its basic principles stress the republican form of government representing the power of electorate, secular administration, nationalism, mixed economy with state participation in many of the vital sectors, and modernization

Atatürkism introduced to Turkey the process of parliamentary and participatory democracy

The first Moslem nation to become a Republic, Turkey has served since the early 1920s as a model for Moslem and non-Moslem nations in the emerging world

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Legal Transformation

"We must liberate our concepts of justice, our laws and legal institutions from the bonds which hold a tight grip on us although they are incompatible with the needs of our century

"

Between 1926 and 1930, the Turkish Republic achieved a legal transformation which might have required decades in most other countries

Religious laws were abolished, and a secular system of jurisprudence introduced

The concepts, the texts and contexts of the laws were made harmonious with the progressive thrust of Atatürk's Turkey

" The nation", Atatürk said, " has placed its faith in the precept that all laws should be inspired by actual needs here on earth as a basic fact of national life

"

Among the far-reaching changes were the new Civil Code, Penal Code, and Business Law, based on the Swiss, Italian and German models respectively

The new legal system made all citizens - men and women, rich and poor - equal before the law It gave Turkey a firm foundation for a society of justice and equal rights

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Social Reforms

"The major challenge facing us is to elevate our national life to the highest level of civilization and prosperity

"

Atatürk's aim was to modernize Turkish life in order to give his nation a new sense of dignity, equality, and happiness

After more than three centuries of high achievement, the Ottoman Empire had declined from the 17th to the early 20th Century: With Sultans presiding over a social and economic system mired in backwardness, the Ottoman state had become hopelessly outmoded for the modern times

Atatürk resolved to lead his country out of the crumbling past into a brave new future

In his program of modernization, secular government and education played a major role

Making religious faith a matter of individual conscience, he created a truly secular system in Turkey, where the vast Moslem majority and the small Christian and Jewish minorities are free to practice their faith

As a result of Atatürk's reforms, Turkey -unlike scores of other countries- has fully secular institutions

The leader of modern Turkey aspired to freedom and equality for all

When he proclaimed the Republic, he announced that " the new Turkish State is a state of the people and a state by the people

" Having established a populist and egalitarian system, he later observed: "We are a nation without classes or special privileges

" He also stressed the paramount importance of the peasants, who had long been neglected in the Ottoman times: " The true owner and master of Turkey is the peasant who is the real producer

"

To give his nation a modern outlook, Atatürk introduced many reforms: European hats replaced the fez; women stopped wearing the veil; all citizens took surnames; and the Islamic calendar gave way to the Western calendar

A vast transformation took place in the urban and rural life

It can be said that few nations have ever experienced anything comparable to the social change in Atatürk's Turkey

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Economic Growth

"In order to raise our new Turkey to the level that she is worthy of, we must, under all circumstances, attach the highest importance to the national economy

"

When the Turkish Republic came into being in 1923, it lacked capital, industry, and know-how

Successive wars had decimated manpower, agricultural production stood at a low level, and the huge foreign debts of the defunct Ottoman state confronted the new Republic

President Atatürk swiftly moved to initiate a dynamic program of economic development

" Our nation," he stated, " has crushed the enemy forces

But to achieve independence we must observe the following rule: National sovereignty should be supported by financial independence

The only power that will propel us to this goal is the economy

No matter how mighty they are, political and military victories cannot endure unless they are crowned by economic triumphs

"

With determination and vigor, Atatürk's Turkey undertook agricultural expansion, industrial growth, and technological advancement

In mining, transportation, manufacturing, banking, exports, social services, housing, communications, energy, mechanization, and other vital areas, many strides were taken

Within the decade, the gross national product increased five-fold

Turkey's economic development during Atatürk's Presidency was impressive in absolute figures and in comparison to other countries

The synthesis that evolved at that time -state enterprises and private initiative active in both industrial and agricultural growth- serves as the basis of the economic structure not only for Turkey but also in dozen countries

The New Language

"The cornerstone of education is an easy system of reading and writing

The hey to this is the new Turkish alphabet based on the Latin script

"

The most difficult change in any society is probably a language reform

Most nations never attempt it; those who do, usually prefer a gradual approach

Under Atatürk's Leadership, Turkey undertook the modern world's swiftest and most extensive language reform

In 1928, when he decided that the Arabic script, which had been used by the Turks for a thousand years, should be replaced with the Latin alphabet

He asked the experts: " How long would it take ?" Most of them replied: " At least five years

" " We shall do it," Atatürk said," within five months"

As the 1920s came to an end, Turkey had fully and functionally adopted, with its 29 letters (8 vowels and 21 consonants), has none of the complexities of the Arabic script, which was ill-suited to the Turkish language

The language reform enabled children and adults to read and write within a few months, and to study Western languages with greater effectiveness

Thousands of words, and some grammatical devices, from the Arabic and Persian, held a tight grip over Ottoman Turkish

In the early 1930s, Atatürk spearheaded the movement to eliminate these borrowings

To replace the loan words from foreign languages, large number of original words, which had been in use in the earlier centuries, where revived, and provincial expressions and new coinages were introduced

The transformation met with unparalleled success: In the 1920s, the written language consisted of more than 80 percent Arabic, Persian, and French words; by the early 1980s the ratio had declined to a mere 10 percent

Atatürk's language reform -encompassing the script, grammar and vocabulary- stands as one of the most far-reaching in history

It has overhauled Turkish culture and education

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Women's Rights

"Everything we see in the world is the creative work of women

"

With abiding faith in the vital importance of women in society, Atatürk launched many reforms to give Turkish women equal rights and opportunities

The new Civil Code, adopted in 1926, abolished polygamy and recognized the equal rights of women in divorce, custody, and inheritance

The entire educational system from the grade school to the university became coeducational

Atatürk greatly admired the support that the national liberation struggle received from women and praised their many contributions: " In Turkish society, women have not lagged behind men in science, scholarship, and culture

Perhaps they have even gone further ahead

" He gave women the same opportunities as men, including full political rights

In the mid-1930s, 18 women, among them a villager, were elected to the national parliament

Later, Turkey had the world's first women supreme court justice

In all walks of life, Atatürk's Turkey has produced tens of thousands of well-educated women who participate in national life as doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, writers, administrators, executives, and creative artists

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Strides in Education

"The governments most creative and significant duty is education

"

Atatürk regarded education as the force that would galvanize the nation into social and economic development

For this reason, he once said that, after the War of Independence, he would have liked to serve as Minister of Education

As President of the Republic, he spared no effort to stimulate and expand education at all levels and for all segments of the society

Turkey initiated a most ambitious program of schooling children and adults

From grade school to graduate school, education was made free, secular, and co-educational

Primary education was declared compulsory

The armed forces implemented an extensive program of literacy

Atatürk heralded "The Army of Enlightenment"

With pencil or chalk in hand, he personally instructed children and adults in schoolrooms, parks, and other places

Literacy which had been less than 9 percent in 1923 rose to more than 33 percent by 1938

Women's education was very close to Atatürk's hearth

In 1922, even before proclaiming the Republic, he vowed: " We shall emphasize putting our women's secondary and higher education on an equal footing with men

"

To give impetus to science and scholarship, Atatürk transformed the University of Istanbul (founded in the mid-15th century) into a modern university in 1933

A few years later, the University of Ankara became into being

Today, Turkey has major universities all over the country

Except for Europe and North America she has one of the world's highest ratios of university graduates to population

**P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL** · 29-10-2008

Culture and the Arts

"We shall make the expansion and rise of Turkish culture in every era the mainstay of the Republic

"

Among the prominent statesmen of the 20th Century few articulated the supreme importance of culture as did Atatürk who stated: " Culture is the foundation of the Turkish Republic

" His view of culture encompassed the nation's creative legacy as well as the best values of world civilization

It stressed personal and universal humanism

" Culture," he said, " is a basic element in being a person worthy of humanity," and described Turkey's ideological thrust as " a creation of patriotism blended with a lofty humanist ideal

"

To create the best synthesis, Atatürk underlined the need for the utilization of all the viable elements in the national heritage, including the ancient indigenous cultures, and the arts and techniques of the entire world civilization, past and present

He gave impetus to the study of the earlier civilizations of Anatolia - including Hittite, Phrygian, Lydian, and others

Pre-Islamic culture of the Turks became the subject of extensive research which proved that, long before their Seljuk and Ottoman Empires, the Turks had already created a civilization of their own

Atatürk also stressed the folk arts of the countryside as the wellspring of Turkish creativity

The visual and plastic arts (whose development had been arrested by some bigoted Ottoman officials who claimed that the depiction of the human form was idolatry) flourished during Atatürk's Presidency

Many museums were opened

Architecture gained new vigor

Classical Western music, opera and ballet as well as the theater took impressive strides

Several hundred "People's Houses" and the " People's Rooms" all over Turkey gave local people and youngsters a wide variety of artistic activities, sports, and other cultural affairs

Book and magazine publication enjoyed a boom

Film industry started to grow

In all walks of cultural life, Atatürk's inspiration created an upsurge

Atatürk's Turkey is living proof of this ideal - a country rich in its own national culture, open to the heritage of world civilization, and at home in the endowments of the modern technological age

29-10-2008	#1
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	Atatürk Life Atatürk Life başlıklı yazı Mumsema Atatürk Life Forum Alev Mustafa Kemal Atatürk 1881 - 1938 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic and itsfirst President, stands as a towering figure of the 20th Century Among the great leadersof history, few have achieved so much in so short period, transformed the life of a nationas decisively, and given such profound inspiration to the world at large Emerging as a military hero at the Dardanelles in 1915, he became the charismaticleader of the Turkish national liberation struggle in 1919 He blazed across the worldscene in the early 1920s as a triumphant commander who crushed the invaders of hiscountry Following a series of impressive victories against all odds, he led his nation tofull independence He put an end to the antiquated Ottoman dynasty whose tale had lastedmore than six centuries - and created the Republic of Turkey in 1923, establishing a newgovernment truly representative of the nation's will As President for 15 years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced abroad range of swift and sweeping reforms - in the political, social, legal, economic, andcultural spheres - virtually unparalleled in any other country His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to Atatürk Emerging nationsadmire him as a pioneer of national liberation The world honors his memory as a foremostpeacemaker who upheld the principles of humanism and the vision of a united humanityTributes have been offered to him through the decades by such world statesmen as LloydGeorge, Churchill, Roosevelt, Nehru, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, Kennedy, andcountless others A White House statement, issued on the occasion of "The AtatürkCentennial" in 1981, pays homage to him as "a great leader in times ofwar and peace" It is fitting that there should be high praise for Atatürk, anextraordinary leader of modern times, who said in 1933: "I look to the world withan open heart full of pure feelings and friendship"

29-10-2008	#2
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life Atatürk's Life "There are two Mustafa Kemals One the flesh-and-blood Mustafa Kemal who nowstands before you and who will pass away the other is you, all of you here who will go tothe far corners of our land to spread the ideals which must be defended with your lives ifnecessary I stand for the nation's dreams, and my life's work is to make them cometrue" Atatürk stands as one of the world's few historic figures who dedicated their livestotally to their nations He was born in 1881 (probably in the spring) in Salonica, then an Ottoman city, now inGreece His father Ali Riza, a customs official turned lumber merchant, died when Mustafawas still a boy His mother Zubeyde, adevout and strong-willed woman, raised him and his sister First enrolled in a traditionalreligious school, he soon switched to a modern school In 1893, he entered a military highschool 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 MustafaKemal In 1905, Mustafa Kemal graduated from the War Academy in Istanbul with the rank ofStaff Captain Posted in Damascus, he started with several colleagues, a clandestinesociety called "Homeland and Freedom" to fight against the Sultan'sdespotism In 1908 he helped the group of officers who toppled the Sultan Mustafa Kemal'scareer 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 andIstanbul and as a military attache in Sofia In 1915, when Dardanelles campaign was launched, Colonel Mustafa Kemal became anational hero by winning successive victories and finally repelling the invaders Promotedto general in 1916, at age 35, he liberated two major provinces in eastern Turkey thatyear In the next two years, he served as commander of several Ottoman armies inPalestine, Aleppo, and elsewhere, achieving another major victory by stopping the enemyadvance at Aleppo On May 19, 1919, Mustafa Kemal Pasha landed in the Black Sea port of Samsun to startthe War of Independence In defiance of the Sultan's government, he rallied a liberationarmy in Anatolia and convened the Congress of Erzurum and Sivas which established thebasis for the new national effort under his leadership On April 23, 1920, the GrandNational Assembly was inaugurated Mustafa Kemal Pasha was elected to its Presidency Fighting on many fronts, he led his forces to victory against rebels and invadingarmies 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 ofCommander-in-Chief with the rank of Marshal At the end of August 1922, the Turkish armieswon their ultimate victory Within a few weeks, the Turkish mainland was completelyliberated, the armistice signed, and the rule of the Ottoman dynasty abolished 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 newTurkish State On October 29, the Republic was proclaimed and Mustafa Kemal Pasha wasunanimously elected President of the Republic Atatürk married Latife Usakligil in early 1923 The marriage ended in divorce in 1925 The account of Atatürk's fifteen year Presidency is a saga of dramatic modernizationWith indefatigable determination, he created a new political and legal system, abolishedthe 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, agricultureand 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 andthe Father of modern Turkey died But his legacy to his people and to the world endures Atatürk's body was re-interred in this splendid mausoleum in 1953

29-10-2008	#3
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life National Liberator "This nation has never lived without independence We cannot and shall not live without it Either independence or death" Mustafa Kemal Pasha emerged as the national liberator of the Turks when the Ottoman Empire, carved up by the Western Powers, was in its death throes Already a legendary hero of the Dardanelles and other fronts, he became in 1919 the leader of the Turkish emancipation With a small and ill-equipped army, he repelled the invading enemy forces on the East, on the South, and on the West He even had to contend with the Sultan's troops and local bands of rebels before he could gain complete control of the Turkish homeland By September 1922, he had received one of history's most difficult triumphs against internal opposition and powerful external enemies The liberator ranks among the world's greatest strategists and holds the rare distinction of having maintained a perfect military record consisting of only victories and no defeats As the national struggle ended, the heroic leader proclaimed:" Following the military triumph we accomplished by bayonets, weapons and blood, we shall strive to win victories in such fields as culture, scholarship, science, and economics," adding that " the enduring benefits of victories depend only on the existence of an army of education" It is for his military victories and his cultural and socio-political reforms, which gave Turkey its new life, that the Turkish nation holds Atatürk in gratitude and reverence

29-10-2008	#4
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life Founder of the Republic "Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the people" October 29, 1923 is a fateful date in Turkish history On that date Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the liberator of his country, proclaimed the Republic of Turkey The new homogeneous nation-state stood in sharp contrast to the multi-ethnic Ottoman Empire out of whose ashes it arose The dynasty and theocratic Ottoman system, with its Sultanate and Caliphate, thus came to and end Atatürk's Turkey dedicated itself to the sovereignty of the national will - to the creation of, in President's words, "the state of the people " The Republic swiftly moved to put an end to the so-called "Capitulations ", the special rights and privileges that the Ottomans had granted to some European powers The New Turkey's ideology was, and remains, "Kemalism", later known as "Atatürkism" Its basic principles stress the republican form of government representing the power of electorate, secular administration, nationalism, mixed economy with state participation in many of the vital sectors, and modernization Atatürkism introduced to Turkey the process of parliamentary and participatory democracy The first Moslem nation to become a Republic, Turkey has served since the early 1920s as a model for Moslem and non-Moslem nations in the emerging world

29-10-2008	#5
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life Legal Transformation "We must liberate our concepts of justice, our laws and legal institutions from the bonds which hold a tight grip on us although they are incompatible with the needs of our century" Between 1926 and 1930, the Turkish Republic achieved a legal transformation which might have required decades in most other countries Religious laws were abolished, and a secular system of jurisprudence introduced The concepts, the texts and contexts of the laws were made harmonious with the progressive thrust of Atatürk's Turkey " The nation", Atatürk said, " has placed its faith in the precept that all laws should be inspired by actual needs here on earth as a basic fact of national life" Among the far-reaching changes were the new Civil Code, Penal Code, and Business Law, based on the Swiss, Italian and German models respectively The new legal system made all citizens - men and women, rich and poor - equal before the law It gave Turkey a firm foundation for a society of justice and equal rights

29-10-2008	#6
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life Social Reforms "The major challenge facing us is to elevate our national life to the highest level of civilization and prosperity" Atatürk's aim was to modernize Turkish life in order to give his nation a new sense of dignity, equality, and happiness After more than three centuries of high achievement, the Ottoman Empire had declined from the 17th to the early 20th Century: With Sultans presiding over a social and economic system mired in backwardness, the Ottoman state had become hopelessly outmoded for the modern times Atatürk resolved to lead his country out of the crumbling past into a brave new future In his program of modernization, secular government and education played a major role Making religious faith a matter of individual conscience, he created a truly secular system in Turkey, where the vast Moslem majority and the small Christian and Jewish minorities are free to practice their faith As a result of Atatürk's reforms, Turkey -unlike scores of other countries- has fully secular institutions The leader of modern Turkey aspired to freedom and equality for all When he proclaimed the Republic, he announced that " the new Turkish State is a state of the people and a state by the people" Having established a populist and egalitarian system, he later observed: "We are a nation without classes or special privileges" He also stressed the paramount importance of the peasants, who had long been neglected in the Ottoman times: " The true owner and master of Turkey is the peasant who is the real producer" To give his nation a modern outlook, Atatürk introduced many reforms: European hats replaced the fez; women stopped wearing the veil; all citizens took surnames; and the Islamic calendar gave way to the Western calendar A vast transformation took place in the urban and rural life It can be said that few nations have ever experienced anything comparable to the social change in Atatürk's Turkey

29-10-2008	#7
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life Economic Growth "In order to raise our new Turkey to the level that she is worthy of, we must, under all circumstances, attach the highest importance to the national economy" When the Turkish Republic came into being in 1923, it lacked capital, industry, and know-how Successive wars had decimated manpower, agricultural production stood at a low level, and the huge foreign debts of the defunct Ottoman state confronted the new Republic President Atatürk swiftly moved to initiate a dynamic program of economic development " Our nation," he stated, " has crushed the enemy forces But to achieve independence we must observe the following rule: National sovereignty should be supported by financial independence The only power that will propel us to this goal is the economy No matter how mighty they are, political and military victories cannot endure unless they are crowned by economic triumphs" With determination and vigor, Atatürk's Turkey undertook agricultural expansion, industrial growth, and technological advancement In mining, transportation, manufacturing, banking, exports, social services, housing, communications, energy, mechanization, and other vital areas, many strides were taken Within the decade, the gross national product increased five-fold Turkey's economic development during Atatürk's Presidency was impressive in absolute figures and in comparison to other countries The synthesis that evolved at that time -state enterprises and private initiative active in both industrial and agricultural growth- serves as the basis of the economic structure not only for Turkey but also in dozen countries The New Language "The cornerstone of education is an easy system of reading and writing The hey to this is the new Turkish alphabet based on the Latin script" The most difficult change in any society is probably a language reform Most nations never attempt it; those who do, usually prefer a gradual approach Under Atatürk's Leadership, Turkey undertook the modern world's swiftest and most extensive language reform In 1928, when he decided that the Arabic script, which had been used by the Turks for a thousand years, should be replaced with the Latin alphabet He asked the experts: " How long would it take ?" Most of them replied: " At least five years" " We shall do it," Atatürk said," within five months" As the 1920s came to an end, Turkey had fully and functionally adopted, with its 29 letters (8 vowels and 21 consonants), has none of the complexities of the Arabic script, which was ill-suited to the Turkish language The language reform enabled children and adults to read and write within a few months, and to study Western languages with greater effectiveness Thousands of words, and some grammatical devices, from the Arabic and Persian, held a tight grip over Ottoman Turkish In the early 1930s, Atatürk spearheaded the movement to eliminate these borrowings To replace the loan words from foreign languages, large number of original words, which had been in use in the earlier centuries, where revived, and provincial expressions and new coinages were introduced The transformation met with unparalleled success: In the 1920s, the written language consisted of more than 80 percent Arabic, Persian, and French words; by the early 1980s the ratio had declined to a mere 10 percent Atatürk's language reform -encompassing the script, grammar and vocabulary- stands as one of the most far-reaching in history It has overhauled Turkish culture and education

29-10-2008	#8
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life Women's Rights "Everything we see in the world is the creative work of women" With abiding faith in the vital importance of women in society, Atatürk launched many reforms to give Turkish women equal rights and opportunities The new Civil Code, adopted in 1926, abolished polygamy and recognized the equal rights of women in divorce, custody, and inheritance The entire educational system from the grade school to the university became coeducational Atatürk greatly admired the support that the national liberation struggle received from women and praised their many contributions: " In Turkish society, women have not lagged behind men in science, scholarship, and culture Perhaps they have even gone further ahead" He gave women the same opportunities as men, including full political rights In the mid-1930s, 18 women, among them a villager, were elected to the national parliament Later, Turkey had the world's first women supreme court justice In all walks of life, Atatürk's Turkey has produced tens of thousands of well-educated women who participate in national life as doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, writers, administrators, executives, and creative artists

29-10-2008	#9
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life Strides in Education "The governments most creative and significant duty is education" Atatürk regarded education as the force that would galvanize the nation into social and economic development For this reason, he once said that, after the War of Independence, he would have liked to serve as Minister of Education As President of the Republic, he spared no effort to stimulate and expand education at all levels and for all segments of the society Turkey initiated a most ambitious program of schooling children and adults From grade school to graduate school, education was made free, secular, and co-educational Primary education was declared compulsory The armed forces implemented an extensive program of literacy Atatürk heralded "The Army of Enlightenment" With pencil or chalk in hand, he personally instructed children and adults in schoolrooms, parks, and other places Literacy which had been less than 9 percent in 1923 rose to more than 33 percent by 1938 Women's education was very close to Atatürk's hearth In 1922, even before proclaiming the Republic, he vowed: " We shall emphasize putting our women's secondary and higher education on an equal footing with men" To give impetus to science and scholarship, Atatürk transformed the University of Istanbul (founded in the mid-15th century) into a modern university in 1933 A few years later, the University of Ankara became into being Today, Turkey has major universities all over the country Except for Europe and North America she has one of the world's highest ratios of university graduates to population

29-10-2008	#10
Profil Bilgileri P®øƒєﻛﻛíøиαL	--->: Atatürk Life Culture and the Arts "We shall make the expansion and rise of Turkish culture in every era the mainstay of the Republic" Among the prominent statesmen of the 20th Century few articulated the supreme importance of culture as did Atatürk who stated: " Culture is the foundation of the Turkish Republic" His view of culture encompassed the nation's creative legacy as well as the best values of world civilization It stressed personal and universal humanism " Culture," he said, " is a basic element in being a person worthy of humanity," and described Turkey's ideological thrust as " a creation of patriotism blended with a lofty humanist ideal" To create the best synthesis, Atatürk underlined the need for the utilization of all the viable elements in the national heritage, including the ancient indigenous cultures, and the arts and techniques of the entire world civilization, past and present He gave impetus to the study of the earlier civilizations of Anatolia - including Hittite, Phrygian, Lydian, and others Pre-Islamic culture of the Turks became the subject of extensive research which proved that, long before their Seljuk and Ottoman Empires, the Turks had already created a civilization of their own Atatürk also stressed the folk arts of the countryside as the wellspring of Turkish creativity The visual and plastic arts (whose development had been arrested by some bigoted Ottoman officials who claimed that the depiction of the human form was idolatry) flourished during Atatürk's Presidency Many museums were opened Architecture gained new vigor Classical Western music, opera and ballet as well as the theater took impressive strides Several hundred "People's Houses" and the " People's Rooms" all over Turkey gave local people and youngsters a wide variety of artistic activities, sports, and other cultural affairs Book and magazine publication enjoyed a boom Film industry started to grow In all walks of cultural life, Atatürk's inspiration created an upsurge Atatürk's Turkey is living proof of this ideal - a country rich in its own national culture, open to the heritage of world civilization, and at home in the endowments of the modern technological age


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