33rdrd MEETING TARSUS, MERSİN MEETING TARSUS, MERSİN TURKEYTURKEY

2323rdrd – 28 – 28thth MARCH,2014 MARCH,2014

NATIONAL HERO OF TURKEY

OUR GREAT LEADEROUR GREAT LEADERNATIONAL HERO OF TURKEYNATIONAL HERO OF TURKEY

MUSTAFA KEMAL

ATATÜRK

MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK was born in Salonika in 1881. His house is located at Apostolu Pavlu Avenue, Aya Dimitria district in Salonika,Greece.

His father was Ali Rıza Efendi, and his mother was Zübeyde Hanım. His parents called him Mustafa.

His father , Ali Rıza Efendi died when little Mustafa started primary school. He went back to Salonika, and started Şemsi Efendi School again. Later, he entered the exam for the Military School and he passed it.

He was a very hardworking student. He finished the Military School and joined the army as a young officer. He fought in Dardanelle Wars. Then, he became the chief commander of the Turkish Independence War.He saved our country with his friends from the very strong nations of the world.

On 19th May, 1919, MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK went to Samsun ( One of the biggest cities of the Black Sea Region.) on the Bandırma Ship to start the Independence War Later, he declared that, the 19th May was his birthday and he devoted the same day as a National Holiday to the Turkish Youth.

Then, he invited all the Turkish patriots to Ankara on the "19 of March,1920". He opened the Turkish Grand National Assembly by a religious ceremony on the "23 of April, 1920". Since 1927, 23rd April has been celebrated as Children's Day .And it’s also the only festival which is dedicated to children in the world.

Every year,on 23rd April Turkey hosts lots of children from other countries (about 800 children,from 70 countries) and celebrate the day.

On 23rd April, children visit MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK’s Mausoleum and then they perform dances,read poems etc.They show their love to MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK and their nation.

MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK is the founder of theTurkish Republic. He founded the Republic of Turkey on the "29 of October, 1923". And he became the first president of the Turkish Republic.

In 1934 The Turkish Grand National Assembly gave him the surname "ATATÜRK" His surname means “The Father of Turks” in English.

In his leisure time, In his leisure time, he enjoyed reading he enjoyed reading and writing books and writing books

and a personal and a personal journal, horse riding, journal, horse riding, playing chess, and playing chess, and swimming. He was swimming. He was also an avid dancer also an avid dancer and enjoyed both and enjoyed both

the waltz and the waltz and traditional Zeybek traditional Zeybek

folk dances. folk dances.

MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK wrote many books about politics,military and mathematics etc. He also wrote a geometry book in the last years of his life.

One of the most important legacies of MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK to his nation is the book “Nutuk” which tells his memories from Independence War till his reformations.

Republicanism

Nationalism

Secularism

Populism.

Reformism

Statism

His six principles still serve today as a sign post for establishing a democratic government:

After the establishment of the Republic sweeping cultural and socio-political reforms took place. First the Caliphate abolished. Traditional schools closed and Constitution adopted in 1924 as the replacement of the 1876 constitution that had continued to serve as the legal framework for the republican government.

Reforms on clothing shows as abolishing of fes on men and veiling of women by leaving their places to western clothing. Gregorian calendar was adopted. In 1926, new civil, commercial and penal laws were adopted from Swiss and Italian Laws respectively.

And with these civil codes women, who had been neglected for centuries, now have the same rights as man. They could be appointed to official posts, would have the right to vote even before Swiss women to be elected to the Parliament and of course the monogamy principle. Weekend act, time and calendar system and the change on weight and measure (kilo and meter) are all among those reforms.

New Turkish alphabet, a modified Latin form, adopted and with this came the movement to develop the education of the nation. Primary education was declared compulsory and great importance was given to the education of women. Then the State declared Secularism in 1928.

On November 10, 1938, following an illness of a few months, the national liberator and the Father of modern Turkey died. But his legacy to his people and to the world still endures.

MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK’s body rests today in his mausoleum, called “Anıtkabir”, in Ankara.

And now MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK ‘s Address to the Turkish Youth

Turkish Youth!

Your first duty is to preserve and defend forever Turkish independence and the Turkish Republic.

This is the only foundation of your existence and of your future. This foundation is your most precious treasure.

In the future, too, there will be malevolent people at home and abroad who will wish to deprive you of this treasure. If one day you have to defend your independence and your Republic, you will not tarry to weigh the circumstances before taking up your duty. These possibilities and circumstances may be extremely unfavorable. The enemies nursing designs against your independence and your republic, may have behind them a victory unprecedented in the annals of the world..

It may come to pass that, by violence and ruse, all the fortresses of your beloved fatherland will be occupied, all its shipyards captured, all its armies dispersed, and every part of the country invaded. And what is sadder and graver than all these circumstances is that the people in power inside the country may be blind, misguided. They may even be traitors. The men in power may join their personal interest to the political designs of the invaders. The country may be impoverished, ruined and exhausted

Youth of Turkey's future, even in these circumstances it is your duty to save Turkey's independence and the Turkish Republic.

You will find the strength you need in the noble blood in your veins

Happy is the one who saysI am a TÜRK!

NE MUTLU TÜRKÜM DİYENE!