Peace at Home, Peace in the World." M.

Kemal Atatürk  

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish

Republic and it's first President, is the national hero of
Turkey. He has founded the modern Turkish Republic out
of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire; which was in
recession period and came to known as the "the sick man
of Europe" at the end of the 18th century.

He created a secular state understanding which is unique

among Islamic countries. His modern perspective created
a new country and a nation with great new visions and
aims to achieve ahead. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk differed
from the dictators of his age in two significant respects.
First of all, he was a great reformer in terms of changing a country fundamentally in
every aspect and making the whole nation believe in these changes in a very short time.
And secondly his strong believes in Peace, not only in his own country but all around the
world, makes him the most successful leader in the world in the eyes of Turkish People
and gives profound inspiration to the world at large. His foreign policy was based not on
expansion but on retraction of frontiers; and his home policy was to built a political
system that will regenerate his country by transforming the old sprawling Ottoman
Empire into a new compact Turkish Republic. One of the best books written about
Atatürk from a foreigner's point of view is the book titled " The Rebirth of a Nation" by
Lord Kinross.

Once you step in Turkey, you will see his statues, busts and millions of his photos hung
all over the country. His name has been given to countless institutions, buildings,
streets, parks and suchlike. Foreigners unaware of his accomplishments might think that
the Turks are a bit obsessed with a  man now dead for approximately 60 years but no
other nation on earth has loved a leader as much as the Turkish nation loves Mustafa
Kemal Atatürk.

Emerging as a military hero at the Dardanelles in 1915, he became the charismatic

leader of the Turkish national liberation struggle in 1919. As a triumphant commander
who crushed the invaders of his country following a series of impressive victories against
all odds, he led his nation to full independence. Neither The Turkish Republic nor the
Ottoman Empire has never been a colony in the history. At the 1st world war The
Ottoman Empire formed allies with Germany and Austria-Hungary so lost the war with
them. The wars that are mentioned on this page were against the invading forces after
the 1st world war. Mostly against France and Britain. But these forces couldn't succeed
totally because Atatürk started the liberation wars right after they started the invasions
and he managed to save at least the lands of today's Turkey. And although those day's
Ottoman Empire is today's more than 30 countries, a compact Turkish Republic
compared to the Ottoman Empire was formed with the victories of the common Turkish
people who didn't hesitate to die for their country at the battle field and of course with
the courage, intelligence, and most of all strong believes of their national hero Mustafa
Kemal Atatürk in independence, peace and in Turkish people.

He also put an end to the Ottoman dynasty who had ruled the Empire for more than six
centuries - and created the Republic of Turkey in 1923, establishing a new government
truly representative of the nation's will.

As President for 15 years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced a
broad range of swift and sweeping reforms - in the political, social, legal, economic, and
cultural spheres - virtually unparalleled to any other country.
The world honours his memory as a foremost peacemaker who upheld the principles of
humanism and the vision of a united humanity. Tributes have been offered to him
through the decades by such world statesmen as lloyd George, Churchill, Roosevelt,
Nehru, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, Kennedy, and countless others. A White
House statement, issued on the occasion of "The Atatürk Centennial" in 1981, pays
homage to him as "a great leader in times of war and peace". It is fitting that there
should be high praise for Atatürk, an extraordinary leader of modern times, who said in
1933: "I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and
friendship".

His life

His name was "Mustafa" and was given the name "Kemal" meaning perfection, by his
teacher in the military school. Lastly in 1934 November 24th, everyone
had to take a surname and the "Atatürk" surname, meaning the father
of Turks, was given to him by the Turkish people in accordance with
his reforms and his success in creating a modern Turkish country.

He was born in l9th May 1881 of humble background in Kocakasım

ward of Saloniki, within the Ottoman Empire's borders at that time but
in Greece at present. His father was a customs officer, later becoming
a timber merchant. Following his father's sudden death, a family
having to fend for itself was left behind.

As a child Mustafa finished primary school in Saloniki, going on to

The House he
secondary education at Rucholigè School. Following the death of his
father, his uncle took on the responsibility of looking after Mustafa, his
was born in
only sister and his widowed mother. Despite the opposition of his
uncle, Mustafa succeeded in entering the Military School in Istanbul. He completed his
studies with very high grades, and was accepted into the School of the General Staff. In
December 1905 he was commissioned as General Staff Captain.

Throughout his studies Mustafa Kemal consistently proved himself to be a conscientious,

aspiring and diligent student who was particularly interested in difficult and complex
problems. Whilst at military school in Saloniki, he showed himself in mathematics and
literature. At the same time, and due mainly to his own efforts he started to learn
French, in which he made considerable progress. Yet another trait of character which
began to show through in his early youth was Mustafa's ability to show initiative and
exceptionally his ability to give orders, whilst at the same time maintaining a sense of
fraternity with his comrades. In the School of the General Staff he pondered long and
hard over the hardship caused by the dictatorial rule of Abdulhamit. Just like his
comrades at the school, Mustafa harboured the same feelings of disgust and
rebelliousness towards the political regime of the Sultan. For this reason he did not
hesitate for one moment about taking part in the secret underground activities going on
at the General Staff School, directed towards the overthrow of the Yildiz Regime. He was
one of the early members of the Young Turks movement and a front-runner in the
revolution which demanded a constitutional government for the Ottoman Empire.

In 1908 a revolution led by the Young Turks forced Abdulhamit to restore the parliament
and constitution. After a few months of constitutional rule, a counterrevolutionary effort
to restore the sultan's autocracy led the Young Turks to dethrone Abdulhamit completely
in 1909. He was replaced by Mehmet (Resit) V (r. 1909-18), who was only a puppet of
those controlling the government.
Rapid modernization continued during the Young Turk era (1908-18), with particular
attention given to urbanization, agriculture, industry, communications, secularization of
the state and the emancipation of women.

Between the years 1905 and 1918 Mustafa Kemal was deservedly awarded high ranking
posts in the military chain of command. He proved to have special qualities in the
organisation and management of this army of oppression, known as the Army of the
Movement. In 1910 he lead the Turkish Forces during military manoeuvres in the
Province of Picardy in France. In 1911 he fought in Tripoli against the Italians, and in
1914 whilst serving as Military Attaché in Sofia, he successfully drew the governments
attention to the catastrophic results connected with Turkey's entry into the war with
Germany and its allies.

During World War I Ottoman empire took sides with Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Mustafa fought against the Allied Forces on many fronts including the Dardanelles, the
Russians on the Mus Front in the east and against the British in today's Syria and Iraq.
He was the Lieutenant colonel in charge of Infantry at Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915 and it
is his genius defence tactics that did not give way to the allied forces (British, French,
Anzacs - Australians and New Zealenders and Senegalese) for the capture of Dardanelles
and eventually Bosphorus. His successes against the Allies were well received by the
civilian population and he was acclaimed as the "Hero of Gallipoli". Again during the
World War I, he visited Germany as Military Adviser, together with hereditary Prince
Vahdettin. At the time of signing the Armistice Declaration on the
30th October 1918 Mustafa Kemal remained at the head of his
troops, a command given to him by the German General Liman von
Sanders. His success and fast growing reputation disturbed the
capital and to keep him under control he was promoted to the
Pasha (General) position.

When the World War I ended however, the defeat of these Central
Powers led to foreign occupation of the Ottoman Empire. Armies of
the allied forces occupied nearly all of the country including
Istanbul. Sultan and some people in the public were thinking of
accepting either the American or British mandate. Atatürk,
however, had a very different vision from them. He wanted
Independence. So he left Istanbul with a small boat, namely With some of the
Bandirma (a nice model of this boat can be seen at the Atatürk members of the
Museum, in Atatürk's Mausoleum, Ankara) and came to Samsun (a Sivas Congress,
coastal town in the Black Sea) on 19.May.1919 (later to be September 1919; left
presented as the Turkish Youth Day, by Atatürk). This let to the
to right Refet (Bele),
Turkish War of Independence (1918-1923).
Rauf (Orbay) and
The fight against the victors of the First World War who had divided Bekir Sami
up the Ottoman Empire with the Treaty of Sevres signed on 10
August 1920, initially started with the militia forces called Kuva-yi Milliye. Turkish
Assembly later initiated a regular army and achieving integration between the army and
the militia, was able to conclude the war in victory.

In the years between 1918 and 1923 he was at the forefront of the Turkish War of
Independence and involved with the eradication of the antiquated institutions of the
Ottoman Empire and in laying the foundations of the new Turkish State. With the circular
he published on 22 June 1919 at Amasya, he declared that "The freedom of the nation
shall be restored with the resolve and determination of the nation itself" and called the
meeting of the Sivas Congress. He convened Erzurum Congress during 23 July - 7
August 1919 and Sivas Congress during 4 - 11 September 1919, to organise and lift the
morale of the people in its determined opposition to the Forces of the Entente who were
occupying Anatolia, thus to define the path to be followed towards
the freedom of the motherland. By the end of these conventions he
had managed to convey the message that the idea and the ideals of
outdated imperialism ought be dropped so that people within the
national boundaries could make decisions in accordance with the
principles and general guidelines of an effective national policy. He
was met with great enthusiasm in Ankara on 27 December 1919.
Surveying the field
The significant stages of the Turkish War of Independence under
the Command of Mustafa Kemal are
during the Sakarya
Battle in the war
of  Independence
 Recapturing Sarıkamış, Kars and Gümrü
(The Battle began
 Cukurova, Gazi Antep, Kahramanmaras, Sanlı Urfa defences
(1919 - 1921)
on August 23,
1921 with Mustafa
 Ist Inonu Victory
Kemal Pasha
 IInd Inonu Victory
leading the
 Sakarya Victory
Turkish troops.
 Great Attack, Battle of the Chief Commander and the Great The Turks
Victory
emerged victorious
22 days and 22
When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk united the Turkish Grand National
Assembly on 23rd of April 1920 in Ankara, a significant step was nights later, on
taken on the way to establish the Turkish Republic. With the September 13,
government of the Great National Assembly, of which he was the 1921.)
President, Mustafa Kemal fought the Forces of the Entente and the
Sultan's army which was in collaboration with the occupying forces.
Finally, on the 9th September 1922 he succeeded in driving the Allied Forces back to
Izmir, along with the other forces which had managed to penetrate the heartland of
Anatolia. By this action he saved the country from invasion by foreign forces. On 1.
November. 1922, the offices of the Sultan and caliph were severed from one another and
the former was abolished. There was no longer any administrative ties with the Ottoman
Empire. The Ottoman Sultan fled with a British boat. A new nation was starting to be
born.

The War of Independence came to an end with the Treaty of Lausanne signed on 24th of
July 1923, when the States of the Entente were obliged to recognise the territorial
integrity of Turkey. So in quite a spectacular fashion Mustafa Kemal had achieved the
first step in his reform programme, the creation of a sovereign and independent state.

Mustafa Kemal retired his military uniform and inspired the people to the second, an
even greater task: Transformation of the country into the democratic, secular Republic of
Turkey. He was elected as the head of the national assembly as well as the head of the
government. The Grand National Assembly started to put the necessary legislative
measures into practice so that the Independence War achieves its final aim.

On 29 October 1923, Turkish Republic was formally proclaimed and Atatürk was
unanimously elected as its first President. On 30 October 1923, the first government of
the Republic was formed by İsmet İnönü. Turkish Republic started to grow on the
foundations of the twin principles "Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the
nation" and "Peace at home, Peace in the world".

His Reforms
Atatürk undertook a series of reforms to raise Turkey to a level of modern civilized
country. These reforms can be grouped under five basic titles.

1. Political Reforms

 The Sultanate was abolished (1st November 1922)

 The Republic was declared (29 October 1923)
 Abolishment of the caliph (3 March 1924)

2. Social Reforms

 Recognition of equal rights of men and women

(1926 - 1934). The legal position of women and
their place in society in the new republic was greatly
improved (for example the active and passive
voting right at national and local elections).
 Reform of Headgear and Dress (25 November 1925)
 Closure of mausoleums and dervish lodges, closing
of sacred tombs as places of worship. (30
November 1925)
 The surname law(21 June 1934)
 Adoption of the solar calendar and changing Friday (the Moslem holy day) into a
weekday and Sunday becoming the official day of rest of the week (1925)
 International numeric system was introduced. ( 1928)
 Adoption of international hours and measurements (1925 - 1931)
 The nicknames and personal titles were abolished (26 November 1934)

3. Legal Reforms

 Abolishment of the religious courts (1924 - 1937)

 Implementation of secular law structure nationwide by adoption of Turkish Civil
Code and Swiss civil laws (1924 - 1937).  Penal Statute Book and the Trade Law
Book were also introduced.
 The liberation of the women of Turkey by giving them political and social rights.
a) Rights brought with "Medeni Kanun" (Civilized Law) (1926)
b) Rights for women to be elected for the parliament.

4. Reforms in the fields of education and culture

 Unification of education. Abolition of Medreses, renovations of school programs

according to contemporary and national needs, opening of new universities. (3
March 1924)
 Adoption of new Turkish alphabet and purification of Turkish language from
foreign words (1 November 1928)
 Establishment of Turkish Language and History Institutions (1931 - 1932)
 Regulation of the university education (31 May 1933)
 Innovations in fine arts

5. Economic Reforms

 Abolition of tithe
  Encouragement of the farmers
 Establishment of model farms
 Establishment of industrial facilities, and putting into effect a law for Incentives
for the Industry
 Putting into effect Ist and IInd Development Plans (1933-1937), to develop
transportation networks

Dolmabahçe Palace meeting with

specialists on the Turkish language
(clockwise: Hasan Âli (Yücel), Celâl
Sahir (Erozan), Ahmet Cevat (Emre),
Resit Galip, Mustafa Kemal, Âfet
Inan, Rusen Esref (Ünaydin), Ibrahim
Necmi (Dilmen) and Hamit Zübeyr
(Kosay)

Women's Rights

"Everything we see in the world is the creative work of women." M. Kemal

Atatürk  

With abiding faith in the vital importance of women in society, Atatürk launched many
reforms to give Turkish women equal rights and opportunities. The new Civil Code,
adopted in 1926, abolished polygamy and recognized the equal rights of women in
divorce, custody, and inheritance. The entire educational system from the grade school
to the university became coeducational. Atatürk greatly admired the support that the
national liberation struggle received from women and praised their many contributions: "
In Turkish society, women have not lagged behind men in science, scholarship, and
culture. Perhaps they have even gone further ahead." He gave women the same
opportunities as men, including full political rights. In the mid-1930s, 18 women, among
them a villager, were elected to the national parliament. Later, Turkey had the world's
first women supreme court justice.
In all walks of life, Atatürk's Turkey has produced tens of thousands of well-educated
women who participate in national life as doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, writers,
administrators, executives, and creative artists.

The New Language

"The cornerstone of education is an easy system of reading and writing.

The way to this is the new Turkish alphabet based on the Latin script." M.
Kemal Atatürk

The most difficult change in any society is probably a language reform. Most nations
never attempt it; those who do, usually prefer a gradual approach. Under Atatürk's
Leadership, Turkey undertook the modern world's swiftest and most extensive language
reform. In 1928, when he decided that the Arabic script, which had been used by the
Turks for a thousand years, should be replaced with the Latin alphabet. He asked the
experts: " How long would it take ?" Most of them replied: " At least five years." " We
shall do it," Atatürk said," within five months"

As the 1920s came to an end, Turkey had fully and functionally adopted, with its 29
letters (8 vowels and 21 consonants), has none of the complexities of the Arabic script,
which was ill-suited to the Turkish language. The language reform enabled children and
adults to read and write within a few months, and to study Western languages with
greater effectiveness.

To learn more about the new Turkish language, Turkish alphabet and the language
reform click here

Legal Transformation

"We must liberate our concepts of justice, our laws and legal institutions
from the bonds which hold a tight grip on us although they are
incompatible with the needs of our century." M. Kemal Atatürk

Between 1926 and 1930, the Turkish Republic achieved a legal transformation which
might have required decades in most other countries. Religious laws were abolished, and
a secular system of jurisprudence introduced. The concepts, the texts and contexts of
the laws were made harmonious with the progressive thrust of Atatürk's Turkey. "The
nation", Atatürk said, "has placed its faith in the precept that all laws should be inspired
by actual needs here on earth as a basic fact of national life."

Among the far-reaching changes were the new Civil Code, Penal Code, and Business
Law, based on the Swiss, Italian and German models respectively.

The Principles of Atatürk ( Kemalism)

The doctrines of Atatürk or Kemalism is a system of thought based on the facts of

Turkey. It is shaped with the will of the Turkish nation through a long historical
background. Above all, Kemalism is the introduction and the rendering of the rights to
the nation. It is the expression of the national sovereignty. It is an attempt to reach the
level of the modern civilizations. It requires to experience a modern social life, to
establish a secular state, and to govern with a positive science mentality.
The principles of Kemalism can be viewed in two groups: "The Basic Principles" and "The
Complementary Principles".
The definition of the principles as Atatürk has expressed them:
 

The Basic Principles

 

Republicanism
Nationalism
Popularism
Etatism
Secularism
Revolutionism
 

The Complementary Principles

 

National Sovereignty
National Independence
National Unity and Togetherness
Peace at home Peace abroad as Turkish foreign policy.
Modernization
Scientificism and Rationalism
Humanitarianism

According to the Law on Family Names, the Turkish Grand Assembly gave "Atatürk"
(Father of Turks) as a last name to Mustafa Kemal on 24 November 1934.

Atatürk was elected as the Speaker of the Grand Assembly on 24 April 1920 and again
on 13 August 1923. This was a position equal to that of the president as well as the
prime minister. Republic was proclaimed on 29 October 1923 and Atatürk was elected as
the first President. Elections for President were renewed every four years according to
the Constitution. In 1927, 1931 and 1935 Turkish Grand Assembly again elected Atatürk
as the president.

Atatürk took frequent trips around the country and inspected locally the works
undertaken by the state. As president he was host to visiting foreign presidents, prime
ministers and ministers.

He read his Great Speech, which covers the War of Independence and the founding of
the Republic on 15 - 20 October 1927, and his 10th Year Speech on 29 October 1933.

Only due to the efforts of this great man, which he maintained with exceptional strength
of character and persistence, helped along by his ability to work methodically, was it
possible to introduce all these reforms. Thanks to his great organising talent he led the
country to considerable prosperity and down the path of civilisation and peace.

Atatürk's visions of peace and freedom

"Mankind is a single body and each nation is a part of that body. We must never say
'What does it matter to me if some part of the world is ailing?' If there is such an illness,
we must concern ourselves with it as though we were having that illness."
M. Kemal Atatürk laid the foundations of a truly modern Turkey, a democratic,
republican and independent state based on national sovereignty. Although these ideas
originated from him and were paramount in the foundation of the
new state they remain today an integral part of the republican
government of our country. The foundation stone, or perhaps even
the very soul of Atatürk's spiritual and intellectual philosophy, was
the thought of universal peace and although the biggest part of his
life was taken up by war to defend his country, he always
considered it a crime.

According to Atatürk war can only be just or justified if it is fought

out of sheer necessity or for reasons of national defence, or
pursued by a people awaiting their sovereignty, their very lives
depending on it. Addressing the
people of Bursa,
To live freely and be independent is both a holy right of the September 11, 1924
individual and of the nation, this right being stronger than power
itself. Only by his own personal conviction was he able to frame
the all inspiring guiding principle of the Republic of Turkey - "Peace in the country, peace
in the world." This principle points with absolute clarity and determination the way
forward for the country's future home and foreign policy.

From the ideas that Atatürk held, the idea of civilisation should not be overlooked as it is
no less important. In the course of his short life he never ceased repeating the fact that
views which are based broadly on regional perspective's of the West or East, or on
religious perspective's be they Islam or Christianity often weaken the thoughts of
civilisation, as they fail to manifest the small or special characteristics. Civilisation is
something whole and exclusively human, a universal property. It therefore goes without
saying, that the share every nation in the world has in civilisation is considerable.

In the view of this inspired reformer, mankind has a duty to constantly adapt himself to
the needs that reason demand. His guide in life should be science. Following on from
these basic beliefs Atatirk took it upon himself to provide everyone in the country with
an education, at the heart of which lay the creation of citizens having special qualities, or
in other words, the sense and direction of the education he wanted to give to the people
was very clear in that the Republic needed to produce generations of people whose
thinking, beliefs and education were totally free. Not to mention his view of egoism being
wholly incompatible with the idea of civilisation "Egoism, whether individual or national is
to be condemned". He reminds us that all nations of the world form one large family and
that whenever a disaster strikes one of its members, then it is felt by the rest - like the
pain felt from a needle penetrating a part of the body and felt throughout the whole
body.
 Listening to a senior citizen in Tokat, At the opening of the Nazilli Textile
November 11, 1930 Factory, October 9, 1937

With the intention of spreading his ideas within the educational sector, and supported by
national campaigns, Kemal continued to put forward his form of humanitarian education,
with the aim of producing an enlightened people free from prejudice and intolerance. The
desired objective being simply to develop citizens of the world, free from desires such as
envy, revenge and conspiracy. In a world inhabited by such communities it might be
possible to find an instrument, an organisation that stands above individual states, or in
other words: "a body of united nations", whose main purpose is to maintain peace.

In this respect Atatürk's ideas date from the time between the World Wars, particularly
that before World War II but are nevertheless topical because in a way Atatürk had
predicted the concept of the United Nations.

Furthermore, it was at a time when the ideological battle had reached its climax and for
this reason such views were of a prophetic nature. For a man who had set himself the
task of building up a country based on the most convincing human achievements and
under the banner of reason.

In 1932, the League of Nations invited Turkey to become a member. Many of Atatürk's
ideas and ideals presaged the principles enshrined in the League of Nations and the
United Nations. " As clearly as I see daybreak, I have the vision of the rise of the
oppressed nations to their independence... If lasting peace is sought, it is essential to
adopt international measures to improve the lot of the masses. Mankind's well-being
should take the place of hunger and oppression... Citizens of the world should be
educated in such a way that they shall no longer feel envy, avarice and vengefulness."

In recognition of Atatürk's untiring efforts to build peace, the League of Nations paid
tribute to him at his death in November 1938 as " a genius international peacemaker".
In 1981, on the occasion of the Centennial of his birth, the United Nations and UNESCO
honoured the memory of the great Turkish Statesman who abhorred war - " Unless the
life of the nation faces peril, war is a crime," - and expressed his faith in organized
peace: " If war were to break out, nations would rush to join their armed forces and
national resources. The swiftest and most effective measure is to establish an
international organization which would prove to the aggressor that its aggression cannot
pay."

Ataurk's Personal Life, his likes and his death

 Atatürk led a very simple private life. He married Latife Hanım on 29 January
1923. They took many trips to different parts of the country together. This
marriage lasted until 5 August 1925. As a great lover of children he adopted
girls named Afet (Inan), Sabiha (Gokcen), Fikriye, Ulku, Nebile, Rukiye and
Zehra and a shepperd boy named Mustafa. He also took two boys under
his protection called Abdurrahim and Ihsan . He provided the futures of
these children.

He donated his farms to the Treasury in 1937 and some of his real
estate to municipalities of Ankara and Bursa. He divided his inheritance
among his sister, his adopted children and to the Turkish History and
Language Institutions. He enjoyed books and music as well as dancing,
horse riding and swimming. He was extremely interested in Zeybek
With dances, wrestling and the Rumelia folk songs. Games of billiards and
shepherd backgammon gave him great pleasure. He valued his horse Sakarya and
his dog Fox. He had a rich library. He used to invite statesman, scholars
boy and artists to dinners where the problems of the country were discussed.
Mustafa in He enjoyed dressing well. He was also a lover of nature. He frequently With his
Yalova, used to go to the Atatürk Forest Farm and join in the work. adopted
September daughter Ülkü
16, 1929 He knew French and German. Atatürk died on 10 November 1938 at at Florya sea
9.05 a.m at Dolmabahce Palace, defeated by the liver ailment he was
resort
suffering from. But his legacy to his people and to the world endures. He
was taken to his temporary place of rest at the Ethnography Museum in Ankara on
21 November 1938. When his mausoleum was completed, he was taken to his
permanent resting place with a grand ceremony on 10 November 1953.

Travelling with his adapted child

Sabiha Gökçen, she is also the first  With his adopted
At a wedding
women pilot in Turkey and Prime child
Minister Celâl Bayar,1937

Atatürk's Address to the Turkish Youth

  

Turkish youth!
Your first duty is to protect and preserve
the Turkish independence and the Turkish
Republic forever. This is the very foundation
of your existence and your future. This
foundation is your most precious treasure.
In the future, too, there may be malevolent
people at home and abroad, who wish to
deprive you of this treasure. If some day
you are compelled to defend your
independence and your republic, you must
not tarry to weigh the possibilities and
circumstances of the situation before taking
up your duty. These possibilities and
circumstances may turn out to be
extremely unfavourable. The enemies
conspiring against your independence and
your Republic may have behind them a
victory unprecedented in the annals of the
world. By violence and ruse, all the
fortresses of your beloved fatherland may
be captured, all its shipyards may be
occupied, all its armies may be dispersed
and every part of the country may be
invaded. And sadder and graver than all
these circumstances, those who hold power
within the country may be in error,
misguided and may even be traitors.
Furthermore, they may identify their
personal interests with the political designs
of the invaders. The country may be
impoverished, ruined and exhausted.
 

You, the youth of Turkey's future, even in

such circumstances, it is your duty to save
the Turkish independence and Republic. The
strength you need is in your noble blood
within your veins