Coming to Turkey for the first time you may wonder that wherever you go there are pictures or monuments showing Ataturk.

Lots of picturesque streets, buildings like schools or other public buildings have his name on as well. The use of the surname Kemal is still quite common. There is even a law for the protection of Ataturk.

During our visit to Thessaloniki in Greece, we were able to visit the place of birth and some of the rooms, Atatürk lived in. The Museum of Atatürk in placed next to the well-watched Turkish Embassy, the entry is from the backside.

What kind of person is behind this name?

In fact modern Turkey would not have been possible without Mustafa Kemal, called Ataturk. He was the one who founded the Republic, changed lots of old structures into modern mostly European ones, introduced the first social laws and modernized the Turkish economy completely. All these changes go back to one person, Ataturk, the Father of all Turkish people. Even today most politicians of modern Turkey always try to follow his ideas and principles.

Course of life of Mustafa Kemal

* 1881 Mustafa was born in Salonika, which belonged to Turkey at that time
* 1893 Mustafa joins the military school of Salonika
* He gets the nickname "Kemal", the plenary
* 19.06.1919 Mustafa Kemal went to Samsun to make a speech (Still today there are sports competitions for young people on this date). More congresses in Sivas and Erzurum.
* 16.03.1920 Mustafa Kemal protested against the occupation of Istanbul by the powers of the Alliance
* 23.04.1920 Mustafa Kemal opened the first Turkish National Congress in Ankara and was elected first President of the Congress.
* Mustafa Kemal dedicated this day to the children as National Children?s Day
* 11.05.1920 Mustafa Kemal was sentenced to death by the government in Istanbul
* The death penalty was ratified by Sultan Mehmed (1917 - 1922)
* 19.09.1922 Mustafa Kemal got the title ?Gazi? (Winner) after the 22 day-long battle of Sakaraya
* 01.02.1923 The National Congress agreed with the demands of Mustafa Kemal to abolish the Sultanate
* 09.08.1923 Gazi Mustafa Kemal founded a political party for the people
* 29.10.1923 Gazi Mustafa Kemal founded the Turkish Republic and was elected the first President of Turkey
* 01.03.1924 Gazi Mustafa Kemal brought about the end of the Kalifat (Monarchy)
* 29.10.1933 Gazi Mustafa Kemal at the celebration of the 10th year of the Republic proclaims: ?What good fortune it is for the one who can say I am a Turk?.
* 24.11.1934 Gazi Mustafa Kemal was given the additional name "ATATURK" (Father of all Turkish People) under a law passed by the National Congress
* 10.11.1938 Atatürk died in Dolmabahce Saray in Istanbul

Atatürk's Principles 

National conciousness
Rearrangement
Republicanism
State awareness
For the people

Atatürk's Reforms 

Reform of Writing
Reform of Dress
Language Reform
Civil Rights for Women
Civil Rights Reform
Reform of Measurements and Weights
Reform of Calendars

Please read as well:

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Haymatloz Ernst Reuter in Ankara