ANKARA: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revered founder of the Republic of Trkiye, is remembered not only as the military commander who led the Turkish nation through its War of Independence but also as a visionary statesman who introduced groundbreaking reforms. Ataturk was born in 1881 in the city of Thessaloniki, then part of the Ottoman Empire, to Ali Riza Efendi and Zubeyde Hanim. He lost his father at a young age.
According to Anadolu Agency, Ataturk began his military education in Thessaloniki in 1893, where he also learned French. He later continued his studies at the Military School of Istanbul, graduating as a lieutenant in 1902. His remarkable skills quickly advanced him through the ranks, reaching the position of staff captain in 1905. A major turning point in Ataturk’s career came in 1911 when he led a successful campaign against Italian forces in Tripoli. He further distinguished himself during the Balkan Wars in 1912, where he played a critical role in reclaiming Dimetoka and Edirne as a major.
In
1914, as World War I broke out, Ataturk was serving as a military attache in Sofia, and the allies deployed soldiers on the Gallipoli peninsula as the Dardanelles (Canakkale) campaign began. In a letter to Acting Chief Commander Enver Pasha, Ataturk requested to be in the field, suspending his duty in Sofia. Ataturk and Turkish soldiers made history by showing incredible resistance. His achievements continued in the northwestern Edirne and southeastern Diyarbakir in 1916, earning him the title of major general that same year. In 1918, he led successful resistance against British forces in Damascus.
In 1919, after the Allied occupation of Istanbul, Ataturk traveled to northern Samsun province as the inspector of the 9th army, completely changing his life and, eventually, Trkiye. After proclaiming that the country’s liberation from the occupant forces would only be possible through the will of the people, he organized two congresses – in the cities of Sivas and Erzurum – where the battle of independence and th
e country’s future was discussed. On April 23, 1920, the Grand National Assembly of Trkiye was established, with Ataturk as its head. This new assembly passed laws crucial to resisting the occupation.
The struggle for Turkish independence started on May 19, 1919, and under Ataturk’s leadership, the Turkish army won battles against the occupant forces, culminating in the signing of the Lausanne Treaty in 1923. The Republic of Trkiye was subsequently founded on Oct. 29, 1923. Ataturk became the first president of the republic and served in that capacity until Nov. 10, 1938, when he passed away in Istanbul at the age of 57 due to cirrhosis. As a tradition, Turkish people visit his mausoleum in Ankara every Nov. 10 and pay their tributes to Ataturk.