"My Beautiful Country..." a Turkey Travel Page by kedi+

Well... From today I'm starting to construct my humble homepage.. I wanted to getting started with my country, Turkey and our hero who is the founder of our republic and the first president of this republic.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in Salonika in 1881.

Founding of the Turkish Republic had been heralded by the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 23 April 1920. National Assembly's successful administration during the Independence War had secured the founding of the new Turkish State. Caliphate and Sultanate (monarchy) separated and Sultanate abolished on 1 November 1922. Therefore, the administrative ties with the Ottoman Empire were broken. The declaration of Republic was made on 29 October 1923 and Mustafa Kemal unanimously elected as the first President of the Republic. Ismet Inönü formed the first government of the Republic on 30 October 1923. Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to Nation and Peace at home, peace in the world are the raising fundamentals of the Turkish Republic.

Atatürk made many reforms in order to bring Turkey to the level of contemporary civilizations. Those reforms can be put under five main topics:

1. Political Reforms

2. Social Reforms

3. Juridical Reforms

4. Educational and Cultural Reforms

5. Economical Reforms

In accordance with the new surname law, Turkish Grand National Assembly granted Mustafa Kemal with the surname Atatürk on 24 November 1934.
Atatürk very frequently used to go for fact-finding trips in the country. He kept in contact with local authorities and directed them personally in every occasion. In the capacity of the President of the Republic, he received the visiting foreign presidents, premiers, ministers and commanders with great respect and authority.

Atatürk gave his Great Speech on 15-20 October 1927 in which he described the Independence War and Founding of Republic, and on 29 October 1933 the 10. Year Speech.

Atatürk was very modest in his private life. He married with Latife Hanim on 29 January 1923. Together they had many trips around the country. This marriage lasted until 5 August 1925. As a great lover of children, Atatürk adopted his daughters Afet (Inan), Sabiha (Gökcen), Fikriye, Ülkü, Nebile, Rukiye, Zehra and his son Mustafa, a young shepherd boy. He also had two children under his protection, Abdurrahim and Ihsan. He secured a good life and future for these children who survived.
In 1937, he donated his farms to State Treasury and some of his real estates to Ankara and Bursa Municipality Councils. He divided his inheritance among his sister, his adopted children and the Turkish Language and Historical Societies. He enjoyed reading, listening music, dancing, horse riding and swimming. He was very much interested in the Western Anatolian folk dance Zeybek, wrestling and listening Rumelia songs. He had great pleasure of playing black gammon and billiards. He valued very much his horse Sakarya and his dog Fox. He had made up a very rich library of his own. He used to invite statesmen, scholars and scientists to dinners and discuss state affairs with them. He was very particular about his appearance and was smartly dressed all the times. He was also a nature lover. He very often used to visit his farm Atatürk Orman Ciftligi-Atatürk Forest Farm and took part at works in person. Atatürk was proficient in French and German.

On 10 November 1938 at 9.05 in the morning, in Istanbul, Dolmabahce Palace, he died of the liver ailment he was suffering from. He was buried with a ceremonial funeral in a temporary place of rest at the Ethnographical Museum in Ankara on 21 November 1938. After building of Anitkabir (Atatürk Mausoleum) he was taken to his permanent rest place with a grand ceremony on 10 November 1953.


Culture is the foundation of Turkish Republic.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 1936

For more information, visit: www.kultur.gov.tr