Turkish reformer Ataturk Mustafa Kemal: biography, life history and political activity. Myths and truth about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

The founder and first president of the Turkish Republic today serves for his compatriots as clear proof of the thesis “what a blessing it is to be a Turk.”

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Mustafa Riza was born in Thessaloniki on March 12, 1881 in the family of a timber merchant. Kemal’s nickname, “Perfection,” he said he received at a military school for his mathematical abilities. But the most authoritative of his biographers, Andrew Mango, claims that he adopted this name on his own initiative in honor of the nationalist poet Namik Kemal. In 1934, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey gave him the surname Ataturk - “Father of the Turks.” At the end of the First World War, he did not recognize the surrender of the Sultan and the division of the Ottoman Empire; after the landing of the Greeks in Izmir in 1919, he organized a national resistance movement throughout Anatolia. In 1920 he was elected chairman of the Great National Assembly. In 1923 he proclaimed a republic and was elected its first president. He died in Istanbul on November 10, 1938; since 1953, his remains have been buried in the Anitkabir mausoleum.

Once in a Turkish outback I met a former Soviet sculptor. What is he sculpting? - I asked a stupid question. Like, well, of course, Ataturk! Those who have become proficient in “lukichi” and “rostovichki” (busts and statues of Lenin) will be able to sculpt the Father of the Nation.

The first statues of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Turkey began to be erected during his lifetime by German and Italian sculptors. This was how the fascist style of Atatürk’s iconography was set, which never changed later. There were three main types of statues. The first depicted the Father of the Turks as a commander - riding a dashing horse or on foot, with a pipe in his mouth and a hat on his head. The second is the Father of the Nation in civilian attire, often even in a tailcoat and bow tie, sometimes with a book in his hands. The third symbolized the connection between the leader and the people: Ataturk talks with workers and peasant women, holds the hands of children, etc. And in Trabzon I came across Ataturk growing out of a giant palm - no one knows whose.

Of course, busts of Mustafa Kemal are much more numerous: they decorate all schools, courts, military units, hospitals, libraries, prisons, etc. They are usually painted with gold paint and always reproduce the same stern facial expression. Well, the portraits of the leader are absolutely innumerable. Some enliven the walls of all eateries, workshops, shops, swimming pools, public places, without exception, as well as coins, banknotes, postage stamps, icons, others are lined with stones on the mountain slopes (the most impressive is on Mount Erzincan, with an area of ​​7568 m2). And Turkish schoolchildren learn by heart poems dedicated to the portrait, like those that are memorable to the Soviet people.

The victorious General Mustafa Kemal, having come to power in 1919, amid the despondency caused by defeat in the First World War, completely defeated the Greek army that had invaded Turkey and thereby restored the people's faith in their own strength. From the ruins of the sultanate, he began to create a Turkish identity from scratch. Kemal announced that the collapsed multinational Ottoman Empire was only a fetter for the Turkish nation. Kemal carried out all modernization under the banner of a return to Turkic roots. European dress and universal education, women's equality and the Latin alphabet, parliament and statism, Western music and the system of first and last names, rowing and dancing, drinking alcohol and golf - everything was declared to correspond to the original national traditions of the Turks.

The main danger for Kemal's reforms it was Islam. Yes, the Father of the Turks proclaimed secularism as the basis of the state, abolished Sharia law and the caliphate. However, there remained a line that even he could not cross - Muslim life and way of thinking. There are rumors that he himself did not like Islam, but did not dare to criticize it publicly. Unlike the Bolsheviks, who banned bell ringing and religious processions without the slightest hesitation, Kemal was forced to come to terms with fasting, hajj, circumcision, and most importantly, with the daily five-time cries of the muezzins.

Ataturk died in 1938 and rested in the mausoleum, a masterpiece of fascist architecture. During his lifetime, he became the idol of the new Turkish religion - nationalism (as opposed to both empire and Islamism). To every rise in Muslim sentiments, to every exacerbation of Kurdish separatism, the authorities responded by massively erecting new statues in problem areas, forcibly distributing new portraits, and renaming more and more streets, universities, roads, bridges, and airports in honor of the Father of the Turks. Ataturk is the embodiment of the very mystical body that the Turkish nation should represent. The main vehicle of this secular religion was the army, which periodically removed civilian governments from power if they could be suspected of Islamist sympathies. The last time this happened was in 1997. However, gradually the Turkish economy began to grow, the country moved towards prosperity, and new problems arose.

Turkey's desire to enter Europe has led to some easing of the regime. Islam raised its head and worked out soft methods working with the secular world. The moderate Islamist party came to power, and the women's headscarf in universities became a symbol of the struggle against martinet tyranny. Everything became more complicated, and now Ataturk became not only a government cudgel, but also a banner of intellectual protest against creeping Islamization. Posters showing Ataturk drinking coffee, singing songs, and most importantly, laughing are in great demand. His image has been embraced by the world of business and advertising.

But there is a limit to the humanization of Kemal. Recently, the whole of Türkiye watched the documentary film “Mustafa”, filmed by liberal director Can Dündar. From it, people were amazed to learn that the Father of the Nation could not build a strong relationship with any woman, was afraid to sleep in the dark, and died of cirrhosis. The movie not only caused outrage among the military, not only led to prosecution (insulting the Father of the Turks is still officially a crime), but also earned curses from secularists who saw it as pandering to Islamism. However, the most curious thing is that “Mustafa” was not popular among Islamists either. After all, only an insignificant part of Muslim fanatics declare Kemal to be a Jew and an English spy, and the overwhelming majority of them believe that he is... a messenger of Allah who carried out a special mission on Earth.

The story of our neighbor. It turns out that readers of my books know a lot about the creator of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

It's nice to take stock when there are many worthy contenders.

But first, the right answers.

1. What unexpected figure can be seen on the Ataturk monument in Istanbul?

It’s correct to say that the monument to the Republic on Taksim Square in Istanbul depicts Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze and Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov, Soviet commanders.

Ataturk maintained close relations with the Bolsheviks. Received weapons and gold from them. The reason was simple: Kemal needed funds to fight the British (and Greeks) for independence. Lenin - difficulties in the rear of the British, the opening of a new front against the “imperialists”. But not for the world revolution, but to make it easier to talk with London, having a regime friendly to Moscow in the straits. And more trump cards for trading. If you don't help the whites, we won't help the Turks. This is how it will turn out - the Bolsheviks will not provide Kemal with the large-scale assistance that they initially promised.

Moreover, what is curious is that Lenin’s emissaries came to Kemal in the fall of 1919. This is an example of state thinking - Denikin is near Moscow, Yudenich is near Petrograd, and Lenin thinks ahead, to the future. And he sends people to the future head of Turkey.

The history of relations between the Bolsheviks and Kemalists is very interesting. Lenin set the work of the Communist Party in Turkey as one of the conditions for cooperation. Kemal did not object. On the night of January 29, 1921, Mustafa Subhi, who created the Turkish Communist Party in Baku, his wife and 12 (!) closest associates... drowned in the Black Sea under very mysterious circumstances. The culprits were never found. Lenin remained silent...

Relations between Moscow and Ankara will worsen only from the beginning of 1925, when Comrade Trotsky and other future “innocent victims of Stalin’s repressions” begin to rule the USSR.

2. How and why did Ataturk become Ataturk? In a linguistic, not a political sense.

In early July 1934, the National Assembly passed a law introducing surnames in Turkey. In the Ottoman Empire, the bulk of the population had...only names. The law was put into effect at the beginning of 1935. Each Turk chose a “Turkish” surname, since foreign surnames and endings were prohibited.

On November 24, 1934, the National Assembly of the Turkish Republic unanimously proposed that Kemal take the surname “Ataturk,” which means “father of all Turks.” An alternative initial option was “Turkata”. Which was more grammatically accurate, but less harmonious.

3. With what achievement of oratory can Kemal enter the Guinness Book of Records?

Kemal gave a speech called "Nutuk". He spoke for six days: 36 hours and 33 minutes. The text of Nutuka covers 543 pages in Turkish and 724 in English.

Knowing this fact will help you when traveling to Turkey to win the respect of the Turks, who immensely respect their leader.

4. How did the Turks experience the treachery of the British after the signing of the Armistice of Mudros?

The Truce of Mudros meant Turkey's withdrawal from the First World War. It was concluded on October 30, 1918 in the port of Mudros (Lemnos island) between the Ottoman Empire and the Entente. Three days later, in violation of the Truce of Mudros, the British army occupied Alexandretta (Iskenderun) and Mosul.

London demanded immediate demobilization and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from there within two weeks!

- Why? The answer is simple - oil.

— Where is Mosul today, in which country? In Iraq.

—Who created this country? Great Britain, taking a bite out of the Ottoman Empire. Pretending to be a friend of the Arabs and Kurds, and raising them to fight the Turks.

-Where is Mosul today? In Iraq? Not really - it is on the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan. This still unrecognized state was created by the United States and Great Britain after the invasion of Iraq quite recently.

— Where is the city of Alexandretta (Iskenderun)? Near the Kurdish areas.

Almost a hundred years have passed, and nothing has changed:

“As a result of an attack by a Kurdish rebel group on a base Navy in southern Turkey, 6 soldiers were killed and 9 more were wounded. This was announced today by representatives of local authorities. A naval base located near the port city of Iskenderun came under rocket fire." Link

The goal is the same as a hundred years ago – to put pressure on Turkey. The means are the same.

...After Mosul, the British capture Izmir, then the Dardanelles forts. On November 13, 1918, the Entente fleet entered the Bosphorus and pointed its guns at the Sultan's palace. For ease of negotiations...

They were going to dissect the Turks like rabbits. And if it weren’t for Kemal Ataturk, Türkiye would be two times smaller. But more about this some other time...

Just a map for now. Look.

The name Ataturk Mustafa Kemal is known to many. His political achievements are still praised by his compatriots. He was the founder of the Turkish Republic and the first president. Some are proud of the politician’s activities, others find disadvantages. And we will try to analyze Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and learn about his achievements.

The beginning of life's journey

In 1881, in the Ottoman city of Thessaloniki (now Greece), the future leader of the Turks was born. The interesting thing is that exact date birth policy is still unknown. This is due to the fact that Mustafa’s two brothers died at birth, and the parents, not believing in the future of their third son, did not even remember his birthday.

The history of the Ataturk family lasted more than one century. The father of the great figure was from the Kojajik tribe. My father could not boast of successes in military affairs. Although he was able to rise to the rank of senior officer, he ended his life as a market trader. The mother of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was an ordinary peasant woman. Although, according to historians, Zubeyde Khanum and her relatives were known in their social stratum for their religious teachings.

Training a Little Dictator

Apparently this is why Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, whose biography is known to many of his compatriots, went to a religious school. This was very important for his mother, therefore, despite his obstinate character, the future leader tolerated strict orders and established boundaries of what was permitted.

It is unknown how the boy’s fate would have turned out later if it had not been for his transfer to the economic sphere. Then my father returned from service in Europe. He was impressed by the newfangled desire of young people to study finance, and he decided that this approach to his son’s education would be most suitable.

Of course, translation was a great joy for Mustafa. But after some time, Ataturk began to be burdened by the monotonous everyday life at the school of economists. And he began to spend a lot of time with his father. Naturally, he was fascinated by military affairs and what dad did. In his free time, he began to study strategy and tactics.

But in 1888, the father of the future Turkish leader died. Then Ataturk Mustafa Kemal decided to continue his studies at a military school. Now garrison life was necessary for the guy. He went all the way through his training to senior officer with inspiration and thoughts about the future. In 1899, after receiving secondary education, he entered the Istanbul Military School.

It was here that he received the middle name “Kemal” from a local mathematics teacher. From Turkish it meant “impeccable” and “perfect,” which, according to the teachers, characterized the young leader. He graduated from college with the rank of lieutenant and went on to study at the Military Academy. Upon completion, he became a staff captain.

World War I under the influence of Atatürk

The biography of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk still amazes with its brightness and success. The ruler faced real victories and defeats for the first time. He proved to the Entente that his training was not in vain and that it would not be so easy for his enemies. A month later, Atatürk Mustafa Kemal again repelled the Entente forces on the Gellipoli Peninsula. These achievements allowed the Turk to get even closer to his cherished goal: he received the rank of colonel.

In August 1915, Kemal justified his title - under his command the Turks won the battle of Anafartalar, Kirechtepe and Anafartalar again. The very next year, Mustafa was promoted again and he became a lieutenant general. After many victories, Ataturk returned to Istanbul and after some time left for Germany, to the front line.

Despite his serious illness, Mustafa tried to return to the ranks of his army as soon as possible. Having become commander, he spent a brilliant defensive operation. At the end of 1918, the army was disbanded, and the future president returned to Istanbul and began working in the Ministry of Defense.

From that moment on, many reforms were carried out, thanks to which the salvation of the fatherland became real. Ankara greeted Ataturk with all honors. The Turkish Republic did not yet exist, but the first step had already been taken - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was elected to the post of head of government.

with the help of the RSFSR

The war between the Turks and the Armenians took place in three periods. At that time, Ataturk became the real leader of his country. The Bolsheviks helped him both financially and militarily. Moreover, the RSFSR supported the Turks for all two years (from 1920 to 1922). At the beginning of the war, Kemal wrote to Lenin and asked him for military support, after which 6 thousand rifles, cartridges, shells and even gold bars arrived at the disposal of the Turks.

In March 1921, an agreement on “friendship and brotherhood” was concluded in Moscow. Then the supply of weapons was also proposed. The result of the war was the signing of a peace treaty, which defined the borders of the warring countries.

Greco-Turkish war with numerous losses

The exact date of the start of the war is unknown. Nevertheless, the Turks decided to consider May 15, 1919 the beginning of the confrontation with the Greeks. Then the Greeks landed in Izmir, and the Turks fired their first shots at the enemies. Over the entire period of the battle, many key battles took place, which most often ended in victory for the Turks.

Just after one of them, the Battle of Sakarya, Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk received the title of “Ghazi” and the new honorary title of Marshal from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

In August 1922, Atatürk decided to carry out the final offensive, which was supposed to decide the outcome of the war. In fact, this is what happened - from a tactical point of view. The Greek troops were destroyed, but during the retreat there was not enough fleet for all the soldiers and only a third were able to escape from the ambush. The rest were captured.

However, regardless of tactics, both sides lost this war. Both the Greeks and the Turks carried out brutal acts against civilians, and huge amount people were left homeless.

Achievements of a great ruler

When the name Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is mentioned, short biography should also contain the leader’s achievements. Naturally, the most impressive reforms occurred after his appointment as president. Immediately, in 1923, the country switched to new uniform government - a parliament and a constitution appeared.

The new city was Ankara. The reforms that followed after this were built not on a “cosmetic renovation” of the country, but specifically on a full-fledged internal restructuring. Kemal was sure that for fundamental changes it was necessary to fundamentally turn everything around in society, culture and economy.

The impetus for change was the belief in “civilization.” This word sounded in every speech of the president; the global idea was to impose Western European traditions and customs on Turkish society. During his reign, Kemal abolished not only the sultanate, but also the caliphate. At the same time, many religious schools and colleges were closed.

Magnificent mausoleum in honor of the Turkish President

Anıtkabir (or Atatürk's Mausoleum) is the burial place of Mustafa Kemal in Ankara. The incredible and grandiose structure is a popular attraction for tourists. Construction was conceived in 1938 after the death of the Turkish president. The architects tried to create such a cultural monument that for many centuries it would indicate the majesty of this politician and become a manifestation of the sorrow of the entire Turkish people.

Construction of the mausoleum began only in 1944, and the building was opened 9 years later. Nowadays the area of ​​the entire complex occupies more than 750 thousand square meters. Inside there are also many sculptures that remind locals and tourists from all over the world of the greatness of the departed ruler.

Opinion about the ruler

The public's opinion of the Turkish president is twofold. Of course, people still revere him, because it’s not for nothing that Ataturk is considered the “father of the Turks.” Many politicians also spoke flatteringly about Kemal's rule at one time. Hitler, for example, considered himself the second student of Ataturk, while Mussolini was considered the first.

Many considered the leader a brilliant ruler and, undoubtedly, an impeccable military leader, since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk knew “everything and even more” about the war. Some still believed that his reforms were anti-democratic, and the desire to rebuild the country led to a harsh dictatorship.

The first president of the Turkish Republic. Born in Thessaloniki on March 12, 1881. At birth he received the name Mustafa; He received the nickname Kemal (“Perfection”) at a military school for his mathematical abilities.

Born in Thessaloniki on March 12, 1881. At birth he received the name Mustafa; He received the nickname Kemal (“Perfection”) at a military school for his mathematical abilities. The name Ataturk (“Father of the Turks”) was given to him by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1934. He used his position in the army for political agitation. Between 1904 and 1908 created several secret societies to fight corruption in the government and army. However, during the revolution of 1908, he disagreed with the leader of the Young Turks, Enver Bey, and withdrew from political activities. He took part in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-1912 and the Second Balkan War of 1913. During the First World War, he commanded the Ottoman troops defending the Dardanelles from the Entente forces. As the leader of Turkish nationalists, he first declared himself in 1917, when he opposed German attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the country. After the war, he did not recognize the humiliating surrender of the Sultan to the Entente states and the division of the Ottoman Empire under the Treaty of Sèvres. The time to prove himself in action came after the Greek landings in Izmir in 1919, when Atatürk organized a national resistance movement throughout Anatolia. Relations between Anatolia and the Sultan's government in Istanbul were severed. In 1920, Atatürk was elected chairman of the new Grand National Assembly in Ankara. He created an army, expelled the Greeks from Asia Minor, forced the Entente states to sign the fairer Treaty of Lausanne, abolished the old sultanate and caliphate, and founded a new republic. Ataturk was elected its first president in 1923 and was re-elected in 1927, 1931 and 1935. In fact, he established a regime of moderate dictatorship and pursued a policy of modernization and reform of the Turkish state along Western lines. Foreign policy Ataturk was aimed at achieving complete independence of the country. Türkiye joined the League of Nations and established friendly relations with its neighbors, primarily Greece and the USSR. Ataturk died in Istanbul on November 10, 1938.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk; Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha(Turkish Mustafa Kemal Atatürk; - November 10) - Ottoman and Turkish reformer, politician, statesman and military leader; founder and first leader of the Republican People's Party of Turkey; first President of the Republic of Turkey. Included in the list of the 100 most studied personalities in history.

On March 13, 1899 he entered the Ottoman Military College ( Mekteb-i Harbiye-i Shahane listen)) in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Unlike previous places of study, where revolutionary and reformist sentiments prevailed, the college in Constantinople was under the strict control of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

On February 10, 1902 he entered the Ottoman Academy of the General Staff ( Erkân-ı Harbiye Mektebi) in Istanbul, from which he graduated on January 11, 1905. Immediately after graduating from the academy, he was arrested on charges of unlawful criticism of the Abdulhamid regime and, after several months in custody, was exiled to Damascus, where in 1905 he created a revolutionary organization Vatan(“Motherland”).

Start of service. Young Turks

Picardy exercises. 1910

Already during his studies in Thessaloniki, Kemal participated in revolutionary societies; upon graduating from the Academy, he joined the Young Turks, participated in the preparation and conduct of the Young Turk Revolution of 1908; Subsequently, due to disagreements with the leaders of the Young Turk movement, he temporarily withdrew from political activity.

From 6 to 15 August 1915, a group of troops under the command of German officer Otto Sanders and Kemal managed to prevent the success of British forces in landing at Suvla Bay. This was followed by a victory at Kirechtepe (August 17) and a second victory at Anafartalar (August 21).

After the Battles of the Dardanelles, Mustafa Kemal commanded troops in Edirne and Diyarbakir. On April 1, 1916, he was promoted to division general (lieutenant general) and appointed commander of the 2nd Army. Under his command, the 2nd Army managed to briefly occupy Mush and Bitlis in early August 1916, but was soon driven out of there by the Russians.

After short-term service in Damascus and Aleppo, Mustafa Kemal returned to Istanbul. From here, together with Crown Prince Vahidettin, Efendi went to Germany to the front line to conduct an inspection. Upon returning from this trip, he became seriously ill and was sent for treatment to Vienna and Baden-Baden.

After the occupation of Istanbul by Entente troops and the dissolution of the Ottoman parliament (March 16, 1920), Kemal convened his own parliament in Angora - (VNST), the first meeting of which opened on April 23, 1920. Kemal himself was elected chairman of the parliament and head of the government of the Grand National Assembly, which was then not recognized by any of the powers. The main immediate task of the Kemalists was to fight the Armenians in the northeast, the Greeks in the west, as well as the Entente occupation of “Turkish” lands and the de facto regime of capitulations that persisted.

On June 7, 1920, the Angora government declared all previous treaties of the Ottoman Empire invalid; In addition, the VNST government rejected and ultimately, through military action, thwarted the ratification of the Treaty of Sèvres signed on August 10, 1920 between the Sultan's government and the Entente countries, which they considered unfair to the Turkish population of the empire.

Turkish-Armenian War. Relations with the RSFSR

Of decisive importance in the military successes of the Kemalists against the Armenians, and subsequently the Greeks, was the significant financial and military assistance provided by the Bolshevik government of the RSFSR from the autumn of 1920 until 1922. Already in 1920, in response to Kemal’s letter to Lenin dated April 26, 1920, containing a request for help, the government of the RSFSR sent the Kemalists 6 thousand rifles, over 5 million rifle cartridges, 17,600 shells and 200.6 kg of gold bullion.

When the agreement on “friendship and brotherhood” was concluded in Moscow on March 16, 1921, an agreement was also reached to provide the Angora government with free financial assistance, as well as assistance with weapons, according to which the Russian government allocated 10 million rubles to the Kemalists during 1921. gold, more than 33 thousand rifles, about 58 million cartridges, 327 machine guns, 54 artillery pieces, more than 129 thousand shells, one and a half thousand sabers, 20 thousand gas masks, 2 naval fighters and " large number other military equipment." Russian government The Bolsheviks in 1922 made a proposal to invite representatives of the Kemal government to the Genoa Conference, which meant actual international recognition for the VNST.

Kemal’s letter to Lenin dated April 26, 1920, read, among other things: “First. We undertake to unite all our work and all our military operations with the Russian Bolsheviks, with the goal of fighting the imperialist governments and liberating all the oppressed from their power<…>"In the second half of 1920, Kemal planned to create a Turkish Communist Party controlled by him - to receive funding from the Comintern; but on January 28, 1921, the entire leadership of the Turkish communists was liquidated with his sanction.

Greco-Turkish War

According to Turkish tradition, it is believed that the “National Liberation War of the Turkish People” began on May 15, 1919 with the first shots fired in Izmir against the Greeks who had landed in the city. The occupation of Izmir by Greek troops was carried out in accordance with the article of the 7th Armistice of Mudros.

Main stages of the war:

• Defense of the region of Çukurova, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa (1919-20);
• Inönü's first victory (January 6-10, 1921);
• Inönü's second victory (March 23 - April 1, 1921);
• Defeat at Eskisehir (Battle of Afyonkarahisar-Eskisehir), retreat to Sakarya (July 17, 1921);
• Victory in the Battle of Sakarya (August 23-September 13, 1921);
• General offensive and victory over the Greeks at Domlupınar (now Kutahya, Turkey; August 26–September 9, 1922).

On September 9, Kemal, at the head of the Turkish army, entered Izmir; the Greek and Armenian parts of the city were completely destroyed by fire; the entire Greek population fled or was destroyed. Kemal himself accused the Greeks and Armenians of burning the city, as well as personally the Metropolitan of Smyrna Chrysostomos, who died a martyr on the very first day of the Kemalists’ entry (commander Nureddin Pasha handed him over to the Turkish crowd, which killed him after cruel torture. Now he is canonized).

On September 17, 1922, Kemal sent a telegram to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which proposed the following version: the city was set on fire by the Greeks and Armenians, who were encouraged to do so by Metropolitan Chrysostom, who argued that burning the city was the religious duty of Christians; the Turks did everything to save him. Kemal said the same thing to the French admiral Dumenil: “We know there was a conspiracy. We even found that Armenian women had everything they needed to set fire... Before our arrival in the city, in the temples they called for the sacred duty of setting the city on fire.”. French journalist Berthe Georges-Gauly, who covered the war in the Turkish camp and arrived in Izmir after the events, wrote: “ It seems certain that when the Turkish soldiers became convinced of their own helplessness and saw how the flames consumed one house after another, they were seized with insane rage and they destroyed the Armenian quarter, from where, according to them, the first arsonists came».

Kemal is attributed to the words allegedly spoken by him after the massacre in Izmir]: “Before us is a sign that Turkey has been cleansed of Christian traitors and foreigners. From now on, Türkiye belongs to the Turks."

Under pressure from British and French representatives, Kemal eventually allowed the evacuation of Christians, but not men between 15 and 50 years old: they were deported to the interior for forced labor and most died.

On November 19, 1922, Kemal notified Abdulmecid by telegram of his election by the Grand National Assembly to the throne of the caliphate: “On November 18, 1922, in its 140th plenary session, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey unanimously decided, in accordance with the fatwas issued by the Ministry of Religion, to depose Vahideddin, who accepted the enemy’s offensive and harmful proposals for Islam to sow discord among Muslims and even cause a bloodbath among them.<…>»

On October 29, 1923, a republic was proclaimed with Kemal as its president. On April 20, 1924, the 2nd Constitution of the Turkish Republic was adopted, which was in force until 1961.

Reforms

Main article: Ataturk's reforms

According to the Russian Turkologist V.G. Kireev, the military victory over the interventionists allowed the Kemalists, whom he considers “the national, patriotic forces of the young republic,” to ensure the country the right to further transformation and modernization of Turkish society and the state. The more the Kemalists strengthened their positions, the more often they declared the need for Europeanization and secularization. The first condition for modernization was the creation of a secular state. On February 29, the last traditional Friday ceremony of the last caliph of Turkey's visit to the mosque in Istanbul took place. The next day, opening the next meeting of the VNST, Mustafa Kemal made an indictment about the centuries-old use of the Islamic religion as a political instrument, demanded that it be returned to its “true purpose,” and that the “sacred religious values» from various kinds“dark goals and lusts.” On March 3, at a meeting of the VNST chaired by M. Kemal, laws were adopted, among others, on the abolition of Sharia legal proceedings in Turkey, and the transfer of waqf property to the disposal of the General Directorate of Waqfs being created.

It also provided for the transfer of all scientific and educational institutions to the disposal of the Ministry of Education and the creation of a unified secular system of national education. These orders also applied to foreign educational institutions, and on schools of national minorities.

In 1926, a new Civil Code was adopted, which established liberal secular principles civil law, the concepts of property, ownership of real estate - private, joint, etc. were defined. The code was rewritten from the text of the Swiss civil code, then the most advanced in Europe. Thus, the Majelle - a set of Ottoman laws, as well as the Land Code of 1858, became a thing of the past.

One of Kemal's main transformations was initial stage the formation of a new state became economic policy, which was determined by the underdevelopment of its socio-economic structure. Of the 14 million population, about 77% lived in villages, 81.6% were employed in agriculture, 5.6% in industry, 4.8% in trade and 7% in the service sector. Share agriculture in national income was 67%, industry - 10%. Most railways remained in the hands of foreigners. Foreign capital also dominated in banking, insurance companies, municipal enterprises, and mining enterprises. The functions of the Central Bank were performed by the Ottoman Bank, controlled by English and French capital. Local industry, with some exceptions, was represented by crafts and small handicrafts.

In 1924, with the support of Kemal and a number of Mejlis deputies, the Business Bank was established. Already in the first years of his activity, he became the owner of a 40% stake in the Turk Telsiz Telephone TAŞ company, built the then largest hotel in Ankara, the Ankara Palace, bought and reorganized a woolen fabric factory, provided loans to several Ankara traders who exported tiftik and wool .

The Law on the Encouragement of Industry, which came into force on July 1, 1927, was of utmost importance. From now on, an industrialist who intended to build an enterprise could receive free land plot up to 10 hectares. He was exempt from taxes on indoor premises, on land, on profits, etc. On materials imported for construction and production activities enterprises, no customs duties and taxes were imposed. In the first year of production activity of each enterprise, a premium of 10% of the cost was established on the cost of its products.

By the end of the 1920s, a situation of almost boom arose in the country. During the 1920-1930s, 201 joint-stock companies were created with a total capital of 112.3 million liras, including 66 companies with foreign capital (42.9 million liras).

In agrarian policy, the state distributed among landless and land-poor peasants nationalized waqf property, state property and the lands of abandoned or deceased Christians. After the Kurdish uprising of Sheikh Said, laws were passed to abolish the ashar tax in kind and liquidate the foreign tobacco company Regi (). The state encouraged the creation of agricultural cooperatives.

To maintain the exchange rate of the Turkish lira and currency trading, a temporary consortium was established in March, which included all the largest national and foreign banks operating in Istanbul, as well as the Turkish Ministry of Finance. Six months after its creation, the consortium was granted the right to issue. A further step in streamlining the monetary system and regulating the exchange rate of the Turkish lira was the establishment in July 1930 of the Central Bank, which began operations in October next year. With the start of the new bank's activities, the consortium was liquidated, and the right to issue was transferred to the Central Bank. Thus, the Ottoman Bank ceased to play a dominant role in the Turkish financial system.

1. Political transformations:

• Abolition of the Sultanate (November 1, 1922).
• Creation of the People's Party and establishment of a one-party political system(September 9, 1923).
• Proclamation of the Republic (29 October 1923).
• Abolition of the caliphate (March 3, 1924).

2. Transformations in public life:

• Giving women equal rights with men (1926-34).
• Reform of hats and clothing (November 25, 1925).
• Ban on the activities of religious monasteries and orders (November 30, 1925).
• Law on Surnames (21 June 1934).
• Abolition of prefixes to names in the form of nicknames and titles (November 26, 1934).
• Introduction of the international system of time, calendar and measurement (1925-31).

3. Transformations in the legal sphere:

• Abolition of the Majelle (the body of laws based on Sharia) (1924-1937).
• The adoption of a new Civil Code and other laws, as a result of which the transition to a secular system of government became possible.

4. Transformations in the field of education:

• The unification of all educational authorities under a single leadership (March 3, 1924).
• Adoption of the new Turkish alphabet (November 1, 1928).
• Establishment of the Turkish Linguistic and Turkish Historical Societies.
• Streamlining university education (31 May 1933).
• Innovations in the field of fine arts.

Ataturk and the third President of Turkey Celal Bayar

5. Transformations in the economic sphere:

• Abolition of the ashar system (outdated agricultural taxation).
• Encouraging private entrepreneurship in agriculture.
• Creation of exemplary agricultural enterprises.
• Publication of the Law on Industry and creation of industrial enterprises.
• Adoption of the 1st and 2nd industrial development plans (1933-37), construction of roads throughout the country.

In accordance with the Law on Surnames, on November 24, 1934, the VNST assigned the surname Atatürk to Mustafa Kemal.

Atatürk was elected twice, on April 24, 1920 and August 13, 1923, to the post of Speaker of the All-Russian People's Republic of Tajikistan. This post combined the posts of heads of state and government. On October 29, 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed, and Ataturk was elected its first president. According to the constitution, elections for the country's president were held every four years, and the Turkish Grand National Assembly elected Atatürk to this post in 1927, 1931 and 1935. On November 24, 1934, the Turkish parliament assigned him the surname “Ataturk” (“father of the Turks” or “great Turk”; the Turks themselves prefer the second translation option).

Kemalism

The ideology put forward by Kemal and called Kemalism is still considered the official ideology of the Turkish Republic. It included 6 points, subsequently enshrined in the 1937 constitution:

Nationalism was given a place of honor and was seen as the basis of the regime. Associated with nationalism was the principle of “nationality,” which proclaimed the unity of Turkish society and inter-class solidarity within it, as well as the sovereignty (supreme power) of the people and the VNST as its representative.

Nationalism and the policy of Turkification of minorities

According to Ataturk, the elements that strengthen Turkish nationalism and the unity of the nation are:
1. Pact of National Accord.
2. National education.
3. National culture.
4. Unity of language, history and culture.
5. Turkish identity.
6. Spiritual values.

Under these concepts, citizenship was legally identified with ethnicity, and all inhabitants of the country, including the Kurds, who made up more than 20 percent of the population, were declared Turks. All languages ​​except Turkish were prohibited. The entire educational system was based on nurturing the spirit of Turkish national unity. These postulates were proclaimed in the 1924 constitution, especially in its articles 68, 69, 70, 80. Thus, Atatürk’s nationalism opposed itself not to its neighbors, but to the national minorities of Turkey, who were trying to preserve their culture and traditions: Atatürk consistently built a mono-ethnic state, forcefully implanting Turkish identity and discriminating against those who tried to defend their identity

Ataturk’s phrase became the slogan of Turkish nationalism: How happy is the one who says: “I am a Turk!”(Turkish: Ne mutlu Türküm diyene!), symbolizing the change in self-identification of the nation that previously called itself the Ottomans. This statement is still written on walls, monuments, billboards and even on the mountains.

The situation was more complicated with religious minorities (Armenians, Greeks and Jews), for whom the Lausanne Treaty guaranteed the opportunity to create their own organizations and educational institutions, as well as use the national language. However, Ataturk did not intend to fulfill these points in good faith. A campaign was launched to introduce the Turkish language into the everyday life of national minorities under the slogan: “Citizen, speak Turkish!” Jews, for example, were persistently demanded that they renounce native language Judesmo (Ladino) and switched to Turkish, which was seen as evidence of loyalty to the state. At the same time, the press called on religious minorities to “become real Turks” and, in confirmation of this, voluntarily renounce the rights guaranteed to them in Lausanne. With regard to Jews, this was achieved by the fact that in February 1926, newspapers published a corresponding telegram allegedly sent by 300 Turkish Jews to Spain (neither the authors nor the recipients of the telegram were ever named). Although the telegram was outright false, the Jews did not dare to refute it. As a result, the autonomy of the Jewish community in Turkey was eliminated; her Jewish organizations and institutions had to cease or significantly curtail their activities. They were also strictly prohibited from maintaining contacts with Jewish communities in other countries or participating in the work of international Jewish associations. Jewish national-religious education was virtually eliminated: lessons in Jewish tradition and history were canceled, and the study of Hebrew was reduced to the minimum required for reading prayers. Jews were not accepted into government service, and those who had previously worked in them were fired under Atatürk; the army did not accept them as officers and did not even trust them with weapons - they served their military service in labor battalions.

Repression against the Kurds

After the extermination and expulsion of the Christian population of Anatolia, the Kurds remained the only large non-Turkish ethnic group on the territory of the Turkish Republic. During the War of Independence, Ataturk promised the Kurds national rights and autonomy, which gained their support. However, immediately after the victory these promises were forgotten. Formed in the early 20s. Kurdish public organizations(such as, in particular, the society of Kurdish officers "Azadi", the Kurdish Radical Party, the "Kurdish Party") were defeated and outlawed

In February 1925, a massive national uprising of the Kurds began, led by the sheikh of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, Said Pirani. In mid-April, the rebels were decisively defeated in the Genç Valley; the leaders of the uprising, led by Sheikh Said, were captured and hanged in Diyarbakir.

Ataturk responded to the uprising with terror. On March 4, military courts (“independence courts”) were established, headed by Ismet İnönü. The courts punished the slightest manifestation of sympathy for the Kurds: Colonel Ali-Rukhi received seven years in prison for expressing sympathy for the Kurds in a cafe, journalist Ujuzu was sentenced to many years in prison for sympathy for Ali-Rukhi. The suppression of the uprising was accompanied by massacres and deportations of civilians; About 206 Kurdish villages with 8,758 houses were destroyed, and over 15 thousand inhabitants were killed. The state of siege in the Kurdish territories was prolonged for many years in a row. The use of the Kurdish language was prohibited public places, wearing national clothes. Books in Kurdish were confiscated and burned. The words “Kurd” and “Kurdistan” were removed from textbooks, and the Kurds themselves were declared “mountain Turks”, according to unknown to science because they have forgotten their Turkish identity. In 1934, the “Resettlement Law” (No. 2510) was adopted, according to which the Minister of the Interior received the right to change the place of residence of various nationalities of the country depending on how much they “adapted to Turkish culture.” As a result, thousands of Kurds were resettled in western Turkey; Bosnians, Albanians, etc. settled in their place.

Opening a meeting of the Majlis in 1936, Ataturk said that of all the problems facing the country, perhaps the most important is the Kurdish one, and called for “putting an end to it once and for all.”

However, the repressions did not stop the rebel movement: the Ararat uprising of 1927-1930 followed. led by Colonel Ihsan Nuri Pasha, who proclaimed a Kurdish republic in the Ararat Mountains. A new uprising began in 1936 in the Dersim region, inhabited by Zaza Kurds (Alawites), and until that time enjoying considerable independence. At Ataturk’s suggestion, the issue of “pacifying” Dersim was included in the agenda of the VNST, which resulted in the decision to transform it into a vilayet with a special regime and rename it Tunceli. General Alpdogan was appointed head of the special zone. The leader of the Dersim Kurds, Seyid Reza, sent him a letter demanding the repeal of the new law; in response, the gendarmerie, troops and 10 planes were sent against the Dersim residents and began bombing the area. Kurdish women and children hiding in caves were walled up there tightly or suffocated with smoke. Those who escaped were stabbed with bayonets. In total, according to anthropologist Martin Van Bruynissen, up to 10% of the population of Dersim died. However, the Dersim people continued the uprising for two years. In September 1937, Seyid Reza was lured to Erzincan, ostensibly for negotiations, captured and hanged; but only a year later the resistance of the Dersim people was finally broken.

Personal life

Latife Ushakizadeh

On January 29, 1923, he married Latifa Ushaklygil (Latifa Ushakizade). The marriage of Atatürk and Latife Hanım, who went on many trips around the country with the founder of the Turkish Republic, ended on August 5, 1925. The reasons for the divorce are unknown. He did not have any natural children, but he took 7 adopted daughters (Afet, Sabiha, Fikriye, Yulkyu, Nebiye, Rukiye, Zehra) and 1 son (Mustafa), and also took into the care of two orphan boys (Abdurrahman and Iskhan). Ataturk ensured a good future for all adopted children. One of Ataturk’s adopted daughters became a historian, another became the first Turkish female pilot. The careers of Atatürk's daughters served as a widely promoted example for the emancipation of Turkish women.

Ataturk's hobbies

Ataturk and the citizen

Ataturk loved reading, music, dancing, horse riding and swimming, had an extreme interest in zeybek dances, wrestling and folk songs of Rumelia, and took great pleasure in playing backgammon and billiards. He was very attached to his pets - the horse Sakarya and a dog named Fox. Being an enlightened and educated man (he spoke French and German), Ataturk collected a rich library. He discussed the problems of his native country in a simple, friendly atmosphere, often inviting scientists, representatives of art, statesmen. He loved nature very much, often visited the forestry farm named after him, and personally took part in the work carried out here.

Participation in the activities of Turkish Freemasonry

The activities of the Grand Lodge of Turkey reached their culmination during the presidency of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923-1938. Ataturk, a reformer, soldier, defender of women's rights and founder of the Turkish Republic, was initiated in 1907 into the Masonic lodge "Veritas" in Thessaloniki, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of France. When he moved to Samsun on May 19, 1919, before the start of the struggle for independence, six of his seven high-ranking staff officers were Freemasons. During his reign there were always several members of his cabinet who were also Freemasons. From 1923 to 1938, around sixty Members of Parliament were members of Masonic lodges.

End of life

Ataturk's passport

In 1937, Atatürk donated the lands he owned to the Treasury, and part of his real estate to the mayors of Ankara and Bursa. He gave part of the inheritance to his sister, his adopted children, and the Turkish Linguistics and History Societies. In 1937, the first signs of deteriorating health appeared; in May 1938, doctors diagnosed liver cirrhosis caused by chronic alcoholism. Despite this, Ataturk continued to perform his duties until the end of July, until he became completely ill. Atatürk died on November 10, at 9:55 am, 1938, at the age of 57, in Dolmabahçe Palace, the former residence of the Turkish sultans in Istanbul.

Ataturk was buried on November 21, 1938 on the territory of the Ethnography Museum in Ankara. On November 10, 1953, the remains were reburied in the Anitkabir mausoleum, specially built for Ataturk.

Mausoleum of Ataturk (“Anitkabir”)

Under Ataturk's successors, his posthumous personality cult developed, reminiscent of the cult of Lenin in the USSR and the founders of many independent states of the 20th century. Every city has a monument to Ataturk, his portraits are present in all government institutions, on banknotes and coins of all denominations, etc. After his party lost power in 1950, veneration of Kemal was preserved. A law was passed according to which special kind It is a crime to desecrate images of Ataturk, criticize his activities and denigrate the facts of his biography. In addition, the use of the surname Ataturk is prohibited. The publication of correspondence between Kemal and his wife is still prohibited, as it gives the image of the father of the nation too “simple” and “human” appearance.

Opinions and ratings

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia of the second edition (1953) gave the following assessment of the political activities of Kemal Atatürk: “As the president and leader of the bourgeois-landowner party, he adhered to an anti-people course during domestic policy. By his order, the Turkish Communist Party and other working class organizations were banned. Declaring his desire to maintain friendly relations with the USSR, Kemal Ataturk in fact pursued a policy aimed at rapprochement with the imperialist powers.<…>»

Gallery

See also

Notes

1. “Kemal Ataturk” is the new name and surname of Mustafa Kemal since 1934, adopted in connection with the abolition of titles in Turkey and the introduction of surnames. (see TSB, M., 1936, stb. 163.)
2. The exact actual date is unknown. The official date of his birthday in Turkey is May 19: the day is known in Turkey as 19 Mayıs Atatürk"ü Anma, Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı.
3. The “sovereignty of the nation” in Kemal’s political terminology was opposed to the sovereignty of the Ottoman dynasty (see Kemal’s speech on November 1, 1922 when passing the law abolishing the sultanate: Mustafa Kemal. The path of a new Turkey. M., 1934, T. 4, pp. 270-282.)
4. "Time". October 12, 1953.
5. The Great Russian Encyclopedia (M., 2005, T. 2, p. 438) gives March 12, 1881 as his date of birth.
6. Turkey: The land a dictator turned into a democracy." "Time". October 12, 1953.
7. Mango, Andrew. Ataturk: ​​The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey, (Overlook TP, 2002), p. 27.
8. Kemal's British biographer Patrick Kinross called Kemal a "Macedonian" (perhaps referring to Thessaloniki as the center of the Macedonian region); about his mother he writes: “Zübeyde was as fair as any Slav from beyond the Bulgarian frontier, with a fine white skin and eyes of a deep but clear light blue.<…>She liked to think that she had in her veins some of the pure fair blood of the Yuruks, those nomadic descendants of the original Turkish tribes who still survive in isolation among the Taurus Mountains." (John P. Kinross. . New York, 1965, pp. 8-9.)
9. Gershom Scholem. Encyclopaedia Judaica, Second Edition, Volume 5, "Doenmeh": Coh-Doz, Macmillan Reference USA, Thomson Gale, 2007, ISBN 0-02-865933-3, page 732.
10. Mustafa Kemal. The path of a new Turkey. Litizdat N.K.I.D., T. I, 1929, p. XVI. (“Biography according to the state calendar of the Turkish Republic.”)
11. John P. Kinross. Atatürk: a biography of Mustafa Kemal, father of modern Turkey. New York, 1965, p. 90: “I don’t order you to attack, I order you to die. In the time it takes us to die, other troops and commanders can come and take our places."