Leadership and community Development

Submitted By: Tayyaba Ijaz

Submitted To: Sir Owais Ali

Class: B.B.A (IV)

Superior University Gujrat Campus

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

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic

and its 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 build 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.

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.

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 Salonika, 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 secondary education at

Rucholigè School. Following the death of his father, his uncle took on the responsibility of

looking after Mustafa, his 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.

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

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.

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"

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."

The Principles of Atatürk (Kemalism):

The doctrines of Atatürk or Kemalism are 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

experiencing a modern social life, to establish a secular state. 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

Populisms

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 organizing talent he led the country to

considerable prosperity and down the path of civilization 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 defense, or pursued by a people awaiting their sovereignty, their very lives

depending on it.

From the ideas that Atatürk held, the idea of civilization 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 perspectives of the West or East or on religious perspectives be they

Islam or Christianity often weaken the thoughts of civilization, as they fail to manifest the small

or special characteristics. Civilization is something whole and exclusively human, a universal

property. It therefore goes without saying, that the share every nation in the world has in

civilization is considerable

Atatürk’s Personal Life, his likes and his death:

Atatürk led a very simple private life. He married 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 dances, wrestling and the

Rumania 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 enjoyed dressing well.

He was also a lover of nature. He frequently used to go to the Atatürk Forest Farm and join in the

work.

He knew French and German. Atatürk died on 10 November 1938 at 9.05 a.m. at Dolmabahce

Palace, defeated by the liver ailment he was 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.

Conclusion:

He wasn't just a good man, in my opinion; he was one of the best humans among politicians the

world has ever seen.

One thing nobody can deny is that he was a very smart man. He didn't just save the country from

invaders, but he also reformed the country, from laws to clothing and language he made a lot of

changes in a very short time. That's not easy, not easy at all. You have to be extremely smart to

accomplish something like that. 

Being smart can be easily used to do evil if the smart person is a bad person. Ataturk used his

intelligence to bring peace, to give people freedom, to give women equal rights, to modernize the

country. He picked every word that came out of his mouth carefully to not offend or to not be

disrespectful to anybody. Even after wars, he reminded his people that the other side of the war

was a country too, and their citizens deserved equal respect as Turks, and their losses deserved

equal grief as Turks who lost their loved ones. Peace and science were Ataturk's two main

priorities.

Being a woman myself, I greatly appreciate everything he did for women. Ataturk was raised by

his single mother most of his life as his father died when he was just 7. I always thought his

respect to his mother and sister was one of the reasons why he wanted to give women full equal

rights and freedom. Being a smart man he is, most of his adopted children were girls, he raised

his daughters the same way he wish people to raise their own daughters. He showed nothing but

respect to women, he made every one of his daughter get a good education and do "men's job" to

show people women were equal to men. His daughter Sabiha Gokcen became the first female

fighter pilot.

Studying Ataturk as a transformational leader provides invaluable insights into effective

leadership, from which I hope current and future leaders in Turkey and beyond learn important

lessons.

When you go to Dolmabahce Palace where Ataturk lived as the President until his death, you see

that out of ALL rooms in the palace, he has chosen a very small room in the Harem area that

doesn't even have a good view, or close to the entrance. Some says he chose that room because

he didn't want to live in luxury when his people didn't have the same luxury. Some says, it was a

symbolic choice and he wanted to show people Ottoman Era was over, and there was going to be

no Harem anymore and then-taboos like women-men relationships wasn't going to be a taboo

anymore.