Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Comments

1. micK SUTTON says

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   i must say, to concur with Natalie, in all the times i have visited Turkey, the only thing i was ever told by a Turk about Ataturk was “dont disrespect him!”
   as for some of the comments above about him, and the way he treated minorities in Turkey, all i can say is it was a very different time, and he was sculpting a huge, relatively undeveloped country, into a modern, go ahead country, that would eventually be able to take its place at the big table so to speak.
   that his legacy seems to be being dismantled recently is very sad.
   he was no saint, but as an outsider, i feel that the good he did for Turkey far outweighs his faults.

2. Bob Moran says

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   Omer:

   I am an American man who married a Turkish woman. It is an understatement that most of us in this country know nothing about Turkiye. Perhaps we are just so arrogant to think that our country is the only one of importance. Or that our way of life is the best.
   I have traveled to Turkiye several times from Istanbul, to Izmir, to Pamukkale, to Antalya and Ephesus. It was a fantastic experience and taught me so much.
   Most Americans hardly leave their home town and most never traveled to another country. Also, we learn a little about the Ottoman Empire, but really nothing about Turkiye in school.
   I would recommend any one of us to expand our minds by traveling. By the way I love Turkish food (Cok Lezzetli!!!)
   Thanks for your article.

3. Hugh says

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   Very interesting blog. My ex had two tours in Turkey. She was befriended by a Turkish family and just loved it. Later on, we hosted a Turkish Officer at our home in the US. He spent about a month with us. It was fascinating to observe what he knew about the the US and what he did not. There are a zillion stories of that visit but I’ll just share that he was a gentleman.

4. Nat says

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   Hanzade – it already says that – see comments above

5. hanzade says

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   Hi, I found your blog and enjoy reading the point of view a foreign people about Turkey. But there is a major mistake in your post. Ataturk did not introduce Turkish he just changed the alpabeth from Arap alpabeth to Latin. Turkish is very old language and spoken by Ottomans too. I have to say that this is very offensive to give wrong information about one nation’s language. Could you please correct your mistake because it could be misleading to people who read your blog.

6. Nat says

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   Hi Lori – thanks for reading and I hope you make it back here soon

7. Lori says

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   Natalie — I have LOVED your blog entries, as I recently completed a 2-year tour of duty in Turkey. I must say that it was the best two-year period in my military career.

   I want to laud you on the way you are handling the political / historical comments made in this thread… unfortunately History and Politics are strange bedfellows that cannot be untangled, and talking about one necessitates bringing up the other… and you have done so in a very delicate manner. Thank you for keeping this blog (and the comments) non-inflammatory!

   Can’t wait to keep reading your blog now that I am back in the states… I miss Turkey terribly.

8. Natalie says

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   Hi Harry, Unfortunately dates are not displayed on this blog but this post was written when I first set up the site in 2010. Maybe that is where the confusion is, re open conversations in public.

   Although the balance is shifting in Turkish society, it is not at high level so my question to you is to review Turkeys policy on Internet publication about certain topics. After all, it was not that long ago, that Twitter and Youtube was banned. Hint hint!!! I think you are clever and educated so you should know what I am getting at.

   Also as mentioned before, the topic of this blog is travel, not politics.

9. Harry says

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   Sorry but from what i saw, a lady up there felt “insulted” because you “dared” to mention that Kemal is not such a hot topic in modern peoples” conversation nowdays (big deal, haha!). I meN, come oon! We are talking about a country where you cant find a single village without a monument of Kemal, this is their planned education strategy, kemalism, nationalism and statism.
   Duribg Kemal’s era, Greeks, Armenians, Kurds, Assyrians, Pomaks, in short ANY kind of national or cultural minority was suppressed to the level of extinction.
   Let me propose an exercise: search for the percentage of Christian population in Anatolia, Before Kemal, and then, the relevant percentage AFTER Kemal. You ‘d be surprised.
   However since i think you are clever and educated i figure you already know these stuff.
   So my humble question is: why dont you keep a balance when writing about Kemal? Ok, he forbade the burkha. What happened to the liberties of the christian somen during his reign??
   It would be intetested to read your view on that,

10. Natalie says

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    Actually I am able to have a well balanced conversation with a lot of Turks about Kemal. The level of conversation is also extremely educated and it is obvious to me that public opinion has shifted a lot in the last four years

11. harry says

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    Well, i dont know why you answered that this blog is not “political’, since you write about a political figure, want it or not, you become politicized, and therefore subject to criticism and political commentary. So, as a Greek and grandson of refugees from Asia Minor, i am in a position to verify that dear Kemal secularized the society , but however he supressed christianity choosing islamism as the main criterion for a turkish identity (read about the forced exchange of populations, where more than 1 million christians were forcefully deported to Greece). He also denied the existence of other national identities other than the Turkish one (oh and there were many back in the ottoman era! He proceeded to strategies of ethnic cleansing throughouth the 20’s and systematic supression of any national identity other than the turkish one in Turkey. He was an extreme nationalist who used methods of repression against not only ethinic but political minorities (i.e. communists etc). Of course, modern day Turks as genuine products of their envinroment and their nationalistic education, will never talk to you about these. However, you should read about them before posting , and keep a necessary balance. Except, if for example you are in favour of all the nationalist leaders of the midwar period ( hmmm)

12. Natalie says

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    Hi, this is true. The Ottomans let other nations come into their lands to do excavation and allowed them to take artifacts out of the country as well. That is why the great altar of Pergamum is in Germany! (

13. manekeniko says

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    Hi Natalie,

    I saw something about Ataturk that made me respect him even more. When touring in Side, Antalya province, I visited the official museum with the Greek ruins. A plaque at the restoration site talked about the history of archaeology in Turkey, and said there were no archaeologists in the country during the Ottoman era. When the Ottomans left power, all of the ancient ruins were in, well, ruin. Ataturk sponsored young Turks to study abroad and serve their country as archaeologists. He helped put in place a system to find, categorize and restore ancient sites. He had the foresight to recognize that Turkey was uniquely rich in history, and relics from all the eras needed to be preserved. Thanks to Ataturk I can’t bring home ancient coins or cool Ottoman genie lamps from Turkey. Haha!

14. Oliv says

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    I’m a foreigner here in Turkey married to a Turk
    I learned a lot of things about Ataturk and I am very thankful to him, he is so open-minded, without him Turkey could be similar to Middle East where 4wives and marrying a child are allowed. I just don’t think he banned a headscarf, he just gave a women a freedom to choose about clothing.
    He wanted all Turks to live in harmony without separation special about religion.

15. Lal says

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    Most of the Turkish people are warm and behaves good to you ? think you did not came across good people.

16. Shelley says

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    I went to Turkey and did not enjoy being there one bit. The people were awful to me and I did not think they were very smart. I’ll never go again. I like Greece so much better!

17. Natalie says

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    1 – I have changed your name to John. This is a travel blog, not a political blog so please do not come on here with your political agenda as I will edit the comment. I have already explained this in my commenting policy which obviously you did not read before typing.

    2 – If you are so much into your political ideas that you have to come on here and be rude. Why did you use a false name, email address and website address? Are you afraid to stand behind what you type? Your IP address shows you are in America. You have freedom of speech there don’t you?

    3 – “My About” page clearly states my age and I am nowhere near 100 so of course, I have not seen the Kurdish situation in the last 100 years. I very much doubt that you have either

    4 – I learn about Turkey when I want and how I want to. And guess what? If I want to know about Kurdish people, I will ask my Kurdish husband. Certainly not someone like you, who is incapable of typing a comment on a web page without being rude.

    5 – Last warning. Your next rude comment does not get published.

18. John says

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    Natalie,

    you probably haven`t seen the Kurdish situation in Turkey for the last 100 years.
    Of course stupid and ignorant people don `t use their own brain to think, but get everything indoctrinated from the official ideology . Congrats.

    But as you said. It is never too late to learn.
    Atatürk is one of the biggest ****** in history.
    Read about Dersim and Armenians and you will learn a lot.

19. Natalie says

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    Thanks for the tips John – Like you say it is difficult to unravel the myth from actual fact. Many publications show their lack of inside research and knowledge. There are of course, the little facts as well that seem to be left out of most history books! The Kinross book sounds like it is right up my street

20. HobbitTR says

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    Natalie,
    Everyone who wants to understand about, travel to, or live in Turkey will eventually encounter and need to understand the man and the phenomenon of Mustafa Kemal. I too wondered about this man when I first arrived to live here 12 years ago. At the time my daughter, studying at Boston College, knew more about him than I did! I since then have read a lot about him and unraveling the man from the myth is a difficult task. Two books that I highly recommend for expats or travellers are:
    Ataturk by Andrew Mango
    http://www.amazon.com/Ataturk-Andrew-Mango/dp/1585670111
    AND
    Ataturk: The Rebirth of a Nation by Lord Patrick Kinross
    http://www.amazon.com/Ataturk-Rebirth-Lord-Patrick-Kinross/dp/B0000CMD6Y
    Mango’s book is the more recent, is well documented but yet easy to read. Kinross interviewed many of Ataturk’s contempories (all are gone now) for his book.

21. Nat says

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    Hi Reena,
    There is quite a few places in turkey where you are not allowed to take photographs. I agree with you but can not see the Turkish government changing the rules

22. reena says

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    i have been to Ataturk museum…however we are not allowed to take photo with his statue and no photograph inside d museum…

    i think d gov. should change d rules..for allowing photograph and vcam..

23. Natalie says

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    Hi Ozlem, the comment was in no way meant to be an insult. It is based on 11 years of observing Turkish culture and traditions. To speak to a Turkish person about Ataturk, I have always had to raise the topic first. For example, when I first arrived in Turkey and I asked about the man on the flags in shops etc. My comment is not based on recent observations. The way it was explained to me is that Ataturk is such a major part of Turkish life so people don’t talk about him that often. Perhaps the circles that you move in are different to the people that I have meet but every conversation that I have had about Ataturk has always been instigated by me.

    Re – your fashionable circles. I have met a couple of people and when I questioned them about Ataturk, their answer was rather surprising. I have preferred not to continue their conversation because while I have experienced Ataturks presence in daily life, in order to continue the conversation I would have to to fully understand his legacy and goals, I would have to study his history in depth. Yes, I have noticed that there seems to be a growing presence of people who disregard Ataturks place in Turkish history but the pure fact is that he will always have a presence. No-one can take this away regardless of their political views.

24. Ozlem says

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    Natalie,
    I came across your blog as I was doing research for my daughter’s heritage paper for school. While much of the information you convey is correct, I puzzled by the comment you made about Ataturk:
    “You may spend all your holiday wondering who he is, as the Turkish people don’t really talk about him that much. ”
    I was born and raised in Turkey, attended college and graduate school in the US, and travelled back and forth many times.
    Over the years, I have had countless conversations with foreigners about Turkey, and although they didn’t usually know much about Turkey, they almost always knew of Ataturk. I found this to be interesting, so I started asking them how they knew about Ataturk, when they knew so little about my country. The answer I consistently got was that as a foreigner, you couldn’t get past a Turkish ciitzen who would not give you a 2 hour lesson about Ataturk.
    As a Turkish born and raised citizen, I grew up in homes where Ataturk’s portraits adorned the walls, and heard many conversations about Ataturk and his accomplishments. People of Turkey are generally very proud of Ataturk, and will talk to each other and those from other countries about Ataturk, and the fact that if it wasn’t for Ataturk, we would not be living freely on our own land today.
    I am hoping your comment was based on recent observations, as Turkey is in the midst of political change, and in some “circles”, it is fashionable to disregard Ataturk and everything he has done for Turks and Turkey…But to make a blanket statement and say “”You may spend all your holiday wondering who he is, as the Turkish people don’t really talk about him that much. ” is insulting to the rest of us who do anything we can to keep Ataturk alive in spirit.

25. Natalie says

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    Hi Omer, Thanks for your kind comments. I am happy that you like my blog. Also thanks for correcting me about the Turkish language. It is never too late to learn!

26. Omer says

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    I’ve always been wondering about what westerners think/say about us or my country. I have lived in the U.S. and couple of European countries for some years but I cannot get a clear picture of their view as some seem to have no idea, some don’t like and at last some of them love it. I even buy the history books written by western historians and compare what I’ve read and been taught in school to see the difference. Long story short, stumbleupon led me here and I’ve been reading to the last bit since then 🙂 I must say it’s a lovely blog, very nice design and your positive writing attitude makes your posts enjoyable.

    As you already described above, Ataturk is the most respected and we do not talk much about him, true! and that is maybe after spending our entire education life learn everything about him we consider everyone as well already knows about him 🙂 one other reason could be, there are so many things about him to talk and we just don’t want to start.. the conversation will not end for some time..

    I also want to correct one fact if you may;
    4 – He introduced the Turkish Language and helped a whole country to learn it within five years.
    * Actually he introduced the Latin alphabet for Turkish language. In Ottoman Empire the spoken language was Turkish but it was written in Arabic alphabet.

    again, lovely blog.. following you!
    cheers