Kemal Ataturk - the founder of modern Turkey

Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first President of the Turkish Republic, was one of greatest leaders of the twentieth century, who changed the destiny of the people of Turkey and built up the Turkish nation over the ashes of the great Ottoman Empire after its defeat and disintegration and against all odds. Mustafa was born in 1881 in Salonica (Thessalonika), Greece. His father Ali Raza was a petty official in the customs department at Salonika and his mother Zubaydah was a cultivator's daughter. During his infancy his father died and he was brought up by his mother.
Although she was illiterate, she was very upright, religious-minded and of high character. Kemal imbibed these characteristics from her mother and built up his own strong personality.
In his childhood he tended the sheep of his uncle and worked in his farm but he was not satisfied with this peasant's and shepherd's life. He was keen to receive education and wanted to be admitted to the military school. He returned with his mother to Salonica and got admission in a military school where he was called Mustafa Kemal by his mathematics teacher.
From Salonica he went to Istanbul and entered the Military Academy and graduated with honours as staff captain in 1905. This was the period of decline of the Ottoman Empire and there was uprising against Caliph-Sultan Abdul Hamid II and the revolutionary and patriotic cadets, wanted to curb his power.
During his student life he read the books like the Republic of Plato and the history of the French Resolution which created in him national feelings.
The cadets formed a secret revolutionary movement called Watan which Mustafa also joined and for which he was arrested and jailed for several weeks.
Starting his career as a most junior commissioned officer and ending as Commander-in-Chief, he was always victorious against the enemies, in Libya, at Gallipoli, at the Gate of Istanbul, in Palestine and in the Turkish War of Liberation, which he led.
World War I broke out in 1914 and Turkey fought on the side of Germany. Allied forces landed in Gallipoli which, if they had been successful, would have eliminated Turkey from the struggle much earlier, but Mustafa Kemal Pasha, a brilliant commander, saved Turkey and defeated the Allied forces at Gallipoli twice and gained for himself the title of "the Saviour of the Dardanelles." For the first time in the Modern Turkish History the Turks had won a memorable victory against the European Powers.
The First World War, however, ended in the defeat of Turkey and her ally Germany. The Turks had perhaps been the greatest sufferers. The European Powers were sure that the "Sick Man of Europe" was dead and that the only thing remained to be done was to bury him and share the possessions.
The Ottoman Empire, which at one time possessed vast territories in Europe, Asia and Africa and had played for five centuries a predominant part in the political and military history of the regions was now at the mercy of the European Powers.
On the 30th October 1918, Turkish and British representatives signed the Armistice at Moudros. The terms of the agreement were humiliating. Turkey had to lose twothirds of her possessions. The Dardanelles and the Bosporus as well as other fortresses had to be evacuated and handed over to the Allies. The Turkish forces were to the demobilised, except small units where necessary to preserve order and all wireless and telegraph stations and the Turkish Navy and merchant fleet were to be put under the allied control.
The allied Powers, intoxicated with success, were determined to disintegrate and annihilate the Ottoman Empire. They failed to understand that the indomitable courage of the Turkish nation for whom honour, freedom, independence and liberties have always been dearer than life. The Turks had never been ruled by foreign powers throughout history. It was due to this reason that after the Armistice of Moudros when Allied fleet entered Istanbul on 13th of November 1918 and compelled the Caliph Sultan and his Government to accept the terms and conditions which were in their interest, the Turkish people without waiting for the appearance of a national leader, started various national resistance movements in opposition to the allied Powers.
For many months after the Armistice of Moudros Mustafa Kemal remained inactive at Istanbul. There was nothing left for Mustafa Kemal to do in the capital which was under the Occupation of the allied Powers. As a matter of fact, the period between the signing of the Armistice (30th October 1918) and the capture of Izmir by the Greek forces (15th of May 1919) was a period of indecision and confusion for the Turkish nation.
In order to keep him out from the politics in Istanbul, Mustafa Kemal was appointed Inspector-General of the armies in Anatolia.
On 15th May 1919, immediately before Mustafa Kema'ls departure for Samsun, a Greek army supported by an Allied fleet, landed at Izmir and began to advance on land. After a secret interview with the Sultan, embarked on a small boat called "Banderma", Mustafa Kemal left Istanbul with a large number of officers. On Monday 19th May 1919 he arrived in Samsun and set foot on Anatolian soil.
His efforts to boost the morale of the Turkish nation were fruitful. The national resistance movement would from now on find more and more supporters. The seeds of resistance were flourishing everywhere. Bands were organised all over the country to protest against the occupation of most of the big cities as well as the Sublime Porte by the allied troops.
When this news reached Istanbul, allied Powers put pressure on the Sultan's Government to call Mustafa Kemal back to Istanbul. In order to please the allies, the Minister of War on 8th June, 1919 sent a telegram to Mustafa Kemal ordering him to return immediately to Istanbul. Mustafa Kemal refused to return.
While in Amasya, he discovered a plot, at the instigation of the Sultan's Government to arrest him in Sivas. Now the circumstances were such that Mustafa Kemal was compelled to revolt against the Ottoman government, against the Sultan-Caliph and he had to bring the whole nation and the army into a state of rebellion. He decided to do his duty according to the dictates of his conscience, free from any official rank and restriction, trusting solely to the benevolence and magnanimity of the Turkish nation.
Mustafa Kemal and his supporters decided to call a congress of delegates at Sivas to represent the whole Turkey.
From Erzurum, in the name of the Sultan, Mustafa Kemal sent orders to the military commanders all over the country to delay the handing over of arms to the English and to call back the soldiers to the colours.
The congress of Sivas gave Mustafa Kemal the opportunity to take charge of the forces and to direct them towards a predetermined object.
The allies proclaimed martial law in Istanbul. All the official buildings in Istanbul including the Chamber of Deputies, which was the symbol of independence, were forcibly occupied by the troops of the allied Powers.
The most crucial period for Mustafa Kemal was from April to June 1920. During this period all over Anatolia the irregular forces glorified by the title of "the Army of the Caliphate" fought against the Nationalists.
Mustafa Kemal reacted at once and realising the gravity of the situation he had to take prompt action. He had to suppress the Caliph's army, and, at the same time resist Greek pressure on all fronts.
After the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies at Istanbul, Mustafa Kemal opened on 23rd April, 1920 in Ankara the first Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and he was elected its president. It was attended by a number of Deputies who had succeeded in escaping from Istanbul and by five independently-elected delegates from each province. The first step of the Grand National Assembly was to declare itself the sole lawful government of Turkey, invested with full executive, legislative and judicial powers. Though it retained an alliance to the Sultan and Caliph and he should resume his authority when he was freed from constraint, but only within the legal framework, which the Assembly would approve.
Accordingly, as President of the Assembly, Mustafa Kemal took upon himself the office of the Prime Minister and that of the Head of the State.
The Ottoman Sultan Vahdettin on 22nd July 1920 under the pressure of the allied Powers, decided to accept the Treaty of Sevres on the grounds that a survival of the Ottoman Empire in a weak form was to be preferred to its extinction. On 10th August 1920 the delegates of the Istanbul Government signed the Treaty of Sevres with all its destructive provisions. The Treaty of Sevres has been described by the historians as death warrant of the Ottoman Empire.
After the Bolshevik revolution the Soviet Government pursued a policy of non-interference. With this motive a "Treaty of Friendship" was signed in Moscow with Turkey on the 16th March 1921. This treaty enabled the Nationalist government to receive material aid, money and all kinds of war equipment from Russia for the national liberation struggle.
The Moscow Treaty was Mustafa Kemal's first big success in the international field. It restored to Turkey the financial, legal and territorial concessions.
The material support of Russia helped the Ankara Government to launch her struggle more effectively against the Greeks and her Western allies. Later on an agreement was reached with France, which was another great political achievement of Mustafa Kemal.
The decisive battle between the Turkish and the Greek forces was fought near the Sakarya River and it sealed the fate of the Greek army in Anatolia.
Like France, Italy too had become a new ally. She had withdrawn her troops from Antakya and its vicinity and not long afterwards signed an agreement with the Nationalist Government.
Mustafa Kemal was now in a better position. He had recruited and equipped a new army based on the modern art of warfare.
On 26th August 1922 a year after the victory of Sakaraya, after an all-out offensive planned and directed personally under the command of Mustafa Kemal Pasha. The Greek army was defeated and fled in disorder the next day, leaving most of their artillery equipment and stores behind them in their panic-stricken dash for the Sea. On 9th September 1922, the victorious Turkish army liberated the city of Izmir and Bursa in the evening of the same day. Within two weeks the entire Greek forces were forced to leave Anatolia completely.
Upon this decisive victory and with the mediation of the allied Governments, an armistice was signed at Mudanya on 11th October 1922. According to this armistice the Greeks had to withdraw their troops from Thrace within two weeks while the allies were allowed to remain in Istanbul until the signing of a definitive peace treaty.
Mustafa Kemal had won another great victory - this time without the loss of a single man.
The Lausanne conference opened in November 1922 and continued upto July 1923. The defeat in the First World War was fully acknowledged. As a price for that, Mustafa Kemal was prepared to forego all non-Turkish provinces. After long discussions at last a treaty was signed in Lausanne on 24th July 1923. According to its terms an Independent State on Turkish territory with the exception of the province of Hatay was recognised.
The first Grand National Assembly, which had played an important role in the foundation of Modern Turkey, dissolved itself after setting the date for new elections. The second Grand National Assembly met on 11th August 1923 and ratified the Treaty of Lausanne. The Assembly passed a law on 13th October 1923, establishing Ankara as the capital of the new State. On 29th October 1923, the Grand National Assembly proclaimed Turkey, a Republic and elected Mustafa Kemal its first president. It soon transpired that despite the limitation of the Caliph's functions to the religious sphere, the Republic and the Caliphate could not co-exist, and thus, on 3rd March 1924 the Caliphate was formally abolished and all the remaining members of the Ottoman dynasty were expelled for ever from Turkey.
Mustafa Kemal was now victor and the undisputed leader of Modern Turkey. The nation glorified its deliverer and called him "the Saviour of the Nation". In appreciation of his great services the people gave him the title of Ataturk-Father of Turks. The Islamic world with one accord looked towards Mustafa Kemal, praised him, and hailed him as the Saviour of Turkey. The delegations came from various parts of the Muslim countries which were at that time under the subjugation of the European Powers, bringing costly presents and paying homage to the man who was considered the new champion of Islam, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha.
The delegates desired to personate Mustafa Kemal to take the responsibility of saving the Muslim countries from foreign yoke and earn the title for himself, as the Saviour of all the oppressed. Thereupon Mustafa Kemal replied that "there are no oppressed, but there are nations which allow themselves to be downtrodden. The Turks are not one of those nations. They know how to help themselves. The others should do the same.
Mustafa Kemal did not desire of making himself Sultan or Caliph. He had been offered the Caliphate of the Muslim world, but he declined to accept the responsibility.
Dr Muhammad Iqbal, the national poet and philosopher, paying a great tribute to the Builder and Architect of Modern Turkey said. "Power with beauty is prophethood. If there has been any such political prophet, it is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who ruled without a throne or a crown without pomp and show, without bodyguards or the protecting cordon. He had presented a glimpse of the political complexion for which the eyes of the Muslims have been eagerly looking out since the days of the Righteous Caliphs. We pray unto Allah that He may exalt him with His all-pervading Mercy and Kindness."
The All India Muslim League under the chairmanship of the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, on the sudden death of Ataturk on 10th November 1938 passed a resolution in its twenty-sixth session and "expressed its deepest feeling of sorrow and grief at the sad demise of Ataturk Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha, whom it acknowledges as a truly great personality in the Islamic world, a great general and a great statesman. He rebuilt and revived the Turkish nation after its defeat and disintegration, and in spite of opposition from the European Powers, succeeded in defeating the enemies of Turkey, and within a short time brought his country to the front rank of nations. By establishing a concord and alliance of the East was the true goal of political power and prosperity. His memory will inspire Muslims all over the world with courage, perseverance and manliness."
(The writer is Director of the Quaid-i-Azam Academy)