Ataturk

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, officially titled as 'Gazi' (War Veteran) and founder of the Republic of Turkey, is a multi-faceted personality who made significant contributions to modern Turkey. He is revered mostly for his role in the Turkish War of Independence and his progressive reforms in the early years of the Republic.

Born on 19 May 1881 in Salonika, Ottoman Empire (now Thessaloniki, Greece), he launched a national resistance against the Allied forces who had occupied Turkey after World War I. His successful military campaigns led to the liberation of the country and establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, replacing the 600-year-old Ottoman Empire. He served as the first President of the Republic till his death in 1938, transforming the country into a secular, democratic, and modern nation-state.

Ataturk, a national war hero and one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, initiated a series of political, legal, social, and cultural reforms aimed at transforming the religiously-oriented Ottoman Empire into a modern, secular, and democratic nation-state. These included the emancipation of women, the abolition of all Islamic institutions, the introduction of Western legal codes, dress, calendar, alphabet, and the replacement of Arabic script with Latin. His leadership and reforms have left a lasting legacy in Turkey and are still revered and protected by many Turks. He is commemorated by numerous memorials throughout Turkey, including the Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara, and his image can be found in various public spaces, from currency to school textbooks.