Ataturk

Between 1905 - 1907 he was stationed in Damascus with the 5th. Army. In 1907 he was promoted to the rank of "Kolagasi" (senior major) and was posted with the III rd Army , which was stationed in Manastir. He was the Staff Officer of the "Special Troops" (Hareket Ordusu) which entered Istanbul on April 19, 1909. He was sent to Paris in 1910 where he attended the Picardie maneuvers. In 1911 he started to work at the General Staff Office in Istanbul.

Mustafa Kemal was stationed at Edirne and Diyarbakir after the Canakkale wars and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on 1 April 1916. He fought against the Russian forces and recaptured Mus and Bitlis. Following short assignments at Damascus and Khallepo, he came to Istanbul in 1917. He traveled to Germany with Vahdettin Efendi, the heir to the throne. He became sick after this trip and went to Vienna and Karisbad for treatment. He returned to Khalleppo on 15 August 1918 as the Commander of the 7th army. At this front, he fought successful defense wars. He was appointed as the Commander of Yildirim Armies one day after the signing of the armistice at Mondros. When this army was disbanded, he came to Istanbul on November 13, 1918 and started to work at the Ministry of Defense.

When, following the Mondros Armistice, the Allied forces started to take over the Ottoman armies, Mustafa Kemal went to Samsun on May 19, 1919 as 9th Army Inspector. 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, thus defining the path to be followed towards the freedom of the motherland. He was met with great enthusiasm in Ankara on 27 December 1919. With the initiation of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 23 April 1920, a significant step was taken on the way to establishing the Turkish Republic. Mustafa Kemal was elected as the head of the national assembly as well as the head of the government. The Grand National Assembly started to put into effect the necessary legislative measures so as to enable the Independence War to come to a successful conclusion.

Turkish War of Independence started with the first bullet shot at enemy on 15 May 1919 during the Greek occupation of Izmir. The fight against the victors of the First World War who had divided 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.

The significant stages of the Turkish War of Independence under the Command of Mustafa Kemal are:

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

Ataturk 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 Ataturk 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 Ataturk as the president.

Ataturk took frequent trips around the country and inspected locally the works undertaken by the state, giving directives were problems were faced. 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.

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

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 dances, wrestling and the Rumelia folk songs.

Games of billiards and 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 and artists to dinners where the problems of the country were discussed. He was particular about his appearance and enjoyed dressing well. He was also a lover of nature. He used to frequent the Ataturk Forest Farm and join in the work.