What does freedom mean? Does it mean limitless freedom or limited but respectful freedom? Mustafa Kemal Ataturk defended limited but respectful freedom. Because respect is everything and the nation’s benefits are over all of everything. He was the part of the nation, and he didn’t separate himself from Turkish nation and modern world.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is a humanist leader. The lives of individuals are valuable. He addressed the mothers of ANZAC soldiers after the republic was declared. His statement is that the mothers shouldn’t have got upset, their children are lying up in a friendly country. That’s why, the grandsons and granddaughters of those soldiers come to Galiipoli in order to memorize their grand- grandfathers every year. He also states that the wars are murder unless you defend your homeland.

Freedom isn’t just a word. It is a term that should be watched at any time. Full freedom is everything for a state. Economic independency, cultural independency and individual self- sufficient are all composed of full freedom. The members of the nation should be educated and trained as successful citizens. They all should be contributed the state’s benefits and development. Not only the economic works, and also, we can list the cultural and charity works. Full development cones after this principle. All of the people have the right to decide their own destiny in the frame of personality. If this decision is also about anybody else, there is no freedom for this side.

Civilization is such a world that M.K.Ataturk has a target to be over all of this world. We need to work hard to achieve this goal. We need to have our own character. Turkish Republic is based on modern world that shapes the civilization.

Always Ataturk….

As a definition of Turkish citizenship, everyone who lives in Turkiye is a Turk. The origin or the religion doesn’t matter. Mustafa Kemal stated that the origins weren’t important. All of those public members were considered as Turk.

We aren’t from Turkiye. Everyone in Turkish Republic and who feels themselves as Turk are Turks. That person can be a Greek or a Jewish or anyone else (for Turkish territory). It is the same for the religion. The differences can make a nation strong; they don’t have to differ the public. That’s what Ataturk meant. Unity is the key point of a strong nation. Not a religion or an origin can change it. Loyalty to a nation is the only thing that will notice it.

This is Ataturk’s nationalism….

Firstly, it is important to know that new Turkish Republic had just got out of a war. As a result of the war, the natural sources were damaged or nearly about to run out of materials. But this fact didn’t stop Mustafa Kemal. Our leader made a planning in order to develop new Turkish Republic.

Agriculture was the major economic activity in that era, but the methods were primitive. That’s why it should have been modernized. Also, the farmers and villagers should have been trained in order to get a good result. New agriculture engineers were educated according to the necessities of modern agriculture. The factories that were based on agriculture were built in Anatolia. The main goal was to become self- sufficient. Then the export could be done to the world. Village Institutes trained villagers due to produce more efficiency in economy and in culture. Industrial factories were established. Railways became the main transportation mode. It was aimed to increase the production. Five-year development plans were based on economical independency.

Economic development should have been supported by cultural and social revolutions.

All of the moves were based on full independency.

Always Ataturk…

A leader should evaluate the real situation and inform the public as how it is. A real leader also should make the public hopeful about the recovery. So, the public relies on this leader Also, the consistence between the speeches and actions is necessary to be reliable.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is such a leader because he never promised not to do anything he can’t do. He also added that he could do everything with the public (with their power). A strong leadership works in that way. Nationalism is the key point.

Always Ataturk….

There are a few leaders that can stand stress and pessimism. A fight such as independency war of Turkiye contains too much stress so every decision becomes vital. Any wrong decision or evaluation can create a disaster. At the same time, to be leader of a fight (to be right is important) brings more stress because every decision will affect millions of people. So, every move is needed to be calculated very well.

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) is this sort of leader. He was aware of every danger or his responsibility. He fulfilled his tasks under a big stress very successfully. He also stated that he had never thought on pessimism during his tasks. Even though he was sick (his kidneys) and he faced unsuitable circumstances, he had never thought in pessimism. His durability was so high that many people might have died of heart attack. He was a real leader with his durability. He had never told lies to everybody about bad situations. He always gained hope to the Turkish nation. Also, he gains hope for other nations and individual targets. Also, his trust on the public power makes him to be a strong leader.

Rescuing a nation is a tough and big fight. When we add the modernization of a nation, it becomes like a mountain. But the character assists the people to come over all problems. So, Ataturk gave the world a great example for any similar fights.

Always Ataturk…..

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was aware of the importance of the history. Since his youth years, he had been reading books and making research on history. He examined why the civilizations went up and collapsed. He got lessons by researching the history. So, he applied those lessons to new Turkish Republic. Not only Turkish history and also the world history (political and social) was his subject.

The most important lesson is always this fact: If a nation remains ignorant and undeveloped, it will be a bait for developed countries. A country should be literate to develop in a rational way. Every individual has to be aware of their missions for the state. Freedom is the key point to development. Full independency leads a nation to the top of civilization. A nation should protect their own culture (language, traditions and history) in order to shape the future safely.

Actually, some people or groups faced the same events in the past. Events are the same, but the actors are different. So, we can do the right thing by examining the history. The same events will also be lived in the future. (Check the Ataturk’s speech to the Turkish Youth)…

Always Ataturk…

After the WWI finished, Mondros Cease-fire Treaty was signed with Ottoman Empire. As a result of this treaty, Western Allies decided to invade and share the Anatolia according to their benefit. Turkish society got furious, but Ottoman family insisted on not to resist the invaders (even it was told that they were friends). Everything happened so violently that most of the pubic got desperate.

As a result of this fact, some options had appeared in the society. One of them was to surrender to UK and allies. It was the end of Turkish presence in Anatolia. The other one was to be ruled by another country. The difference was to be ruled by another country, but the public would be depended on that country. Briefly the mandate ruling system was that. Especially USA was the first country for this option. Even some elite people of the society supported this option. Due to desperate situation, the society was terrible. But Mustafa Kemal appeared and he had told that none of those options couldn’t be accepted. The only way was to fight for freedom. He stated that a nation that accepted mandatory couldn’t be able to live for a long time. That nation would be the slave of mandate powers. We have seen the examples of this application in history for several times. The history proved that he was so right that some of the cultures were destroyed under the name of globalization.

The supporters of those options joined the independence war later because they realized that freedom was possible. Mustafa Kemal united the country as a new Turkish Republic. His key habit was never to give up for any difficulty. Soil becomes country if there are any people who fight for it. It is the rule of all times.

Always Ataturk…

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was a leader that relied on the public very much. The power of the public is always over every power. He always thought that a country could be able to develop with every member of public including women.

Actually, women have very important role in the society. They organize the family and society life, but they didn’t have any value in the society in the past due to the religious dictate. Ataturk was aware of this fact, so he desired women to join the social life. Not only in Turkiye, and women also didn’t have the value in western countries. Even in Europe, the women didn’t have right to vote in 20’s and 30’s. Ataturk prepared a bill that gave this right to Turkish women. Turkish women were having right to vote and to be voted in small villages in 1930. After that development, Turkish women had the right of voting and to be voted by a law in 1934.

We can also state that he wanted the women to participate social and military life. That’s why, he had his adopted daughters raised as pilot and professors. They were also appointing as judge or engineer in every stage.

Turkish Revolution is one of the first moves that civilization was shaped in that era. All of those moves became true thanks to ATATURK.

Always Ataturk…

After declaring the republic, the government faced a tough situation. Actually, all of the problems they faced were very difficult. New Turkish state fought with seven countries for the freedom. That’s why the foreign affairs had changed. The world recognized the new Turkish State by signing Lausanne Treaty.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was very careful in that level. He had never gone abroad because of security and recognition of new Turkish State. He aimed the peaceful world, and he planned to make pacts to protect the peace. All of the Westen leaders visited Istanbul and Ankara. Mostly those visits were peaceful. Foreign affairs were based on peace and recognition of Turkish Republic.

Thanks to Ataturk’s wise moves, Turkish Republic is still being respected in the world.

Imagine a leader who believes in youth and next generations very much. He left his legacy, Turkish Republic, to the youth and next generations. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk gifted 19th of May, the arrival day to Samsun, to the youth. Also, it is the only day for youth in the world.

When a youth or a generation is shaped very well, the future will be bright for the state. That’s why education is the most important area of the state. Public is the total of many people living in the country. Ataturk was aware of this fact. That’s why, he made plans up to this principle.

Always Ataturk…