Attaturk biography

The following August, they launched an offensive that broke the Greek lines and sent them into a full-scale retreat all the way back to Smyrna on the Mediterranean Sea. A fire soon broke out in Smyrna, which, along with looting and rampaging Turkish soldiers, claimed the lives of thousands of Greek and Armenian residents. Roughly , additional Greeks and Armenians were forced to evacuate on nearby Allied warships, never to return.

Mustafa Kemal next threatened to attack Istanbul, which was being occupied by the British and other Allied powers. Fearful for his life, the last Ottoman sultan fled his palace in a British ambulance. A new peace treaty was then signed in July that recognized an independent Turkish state. Even before he became president, Greece agreed to send some , Muslims to Turkey in exchange for over 1 million Greek Orthodox practitioners.

He was an able student, and from an early age, he became involved in the burgeoning movement for Turkish independence. He was part of a movement critical of the old, stale, corrupt Ottoman regime.

Attaturk biography

He made passionate please to his soldiers to lay down their lives for their home country. He later served with distinction in Palestine. He was an able military leader, naturally gaining the respect, admiration and devotion of his soldiers. At the end of the First World War, a harsh peace treaty was imposed on the defeated Turks. In , it looked as if Turkey would be occupied by the Greeks.

Ataturk persuaded the new national assembly to fight the Greek invasion. He was given permission and successfully defeated the Greeks. A year later in , at the Treaty of Lausanne, Turkish independence was confirmed. These reforms included the emancipation of women, the abolition of all Islamic institutions and the introduction of Western legal codes, dress, calendar and alphabet, replacing the Arabic script with a Latin one.

Abroad he pursued a policy of neutrality, establishing friendly relations with Turkey's neighbours. He died on 10 November Search term:. Read more. This presidential duty was at the level of State and Government Presidency. In accordance with the Constitution, presidential elections were repeated once every four years. He gave orders to relevant officials concerning delayed activities.

As President, he hosted the heads of state, prime ministers and commanders of foreign countries who paid visits to Turkey. Between October 15 and 20, , he gave his Great Speech, which narrates the War of Independence and the foundation of the Republic, and on October 29, , he delivered his Tenth Year Speech. Together they went on many trips throughout the country.

This marriage lasted until August 5, In , he donated his farms to the treasury and some of his property to the Ankara and Bursa Municipalities. From his estate, he spared shares for his sister, his adopted children and the Turkish Language and History Associations. He enjoyed reading, listening to music, dancing, horseback riding and swimming very much.

He had an extreme interest in the Zeybek Western Anatolian folk dances, the Rumeli Balkan Peninsula folk songs and wrestling. He enjoyed playing backgammon and billiards. He put great value on his horse named Sakarya and his dog Fox. He built up a rich library.