Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Birth Anniversary: ​​Mustafa Kamal Pasha is called the creator of modern Turkey. Kamal, who became the first president of Turkey, despite being a Muslim, opposed the evils of Islam to modernize his country. He sentenced the clerics to death. He implemented new laws by removing Islamic laws.

Kamal Ataturk alias Mustafa Kamal Pasha, who gave a modern look to Turkey by supporting Pakistan's action against India instead of opposing it after Operation Sindoor, was true to his name. Despite being a Muslim, he opposed the evils of Islam to modernize his country. On the birth anniversary of Kamal Ataturk, the maker of modern Turkey, let us know the stories related to him.

Kamal Ataturk alias Mustafa Kamal Pasha was born in a farmer family of Salonika on 19 May 1881 AD. At the age of 11, he was considered so dangerous that he was expelled from the normal school. After this, he took admission in the military school of Salonika. However, there too there was no significant change in his nature, but his interest in military education remained. After studying in the higher military school of Monastir, he was made a sub-lieutenant at the age of 17. Along with this, he was sent to the Staff College of Constantinople.

Became a member of a revolutionary party called Vatan

While studying at the Staff College, he fell into bad company and kept hanging out with them. After spending some time like this, he joined a secret revolutionary organization called Watan and soon became its leader. Watan's goal was to end the Sultan's dictatorship as well as foil the conspiracies of the foreigners.

One day, during a meeting of this organization, all the officials were arrested on the information of a spy. According to the then prevalent law, they could be given death sentence for conspiring against the Sultan. However, the weak Sultan was afraid that giving death sentence to these people could lead to rebellion, so he forgave everyone.

During Kamal's reign, the Roman script was introduced in Türkiye, replacing Arabic.

He arrived in disguise but was recognized

Kamal was also released along with all his companions, after which he was sent to Damascus as a military officer to suppress the rebellion of the Druze community. Kamal did a very good job there. However, on returning to Constantinople, he again formed the Watan organization. He also continued to work as an officer. Meanwhile, he came to know that an open rebellion was going to take place against the Sultan in Macedonia. On this, Kamal took leave and with the aim of helping the organization, he disguised himself and reached Salonika, the center of the rebellion, via Egypt and Athens. He was recognized there, so he fled to Jaffa via Greece. By then the order for Kamal's arrest had reached Jaffa.

The officer named Ahmed Bey who was given the responsibility of arresting Kamal turned out to be a member of the Watan organisation himself. So instead of arresting him, he sent Kamal to the Gaza front. He also reported that he had never gone on leave. Since Salonika was becoming the centre of the rebellion, he made a lot of efforts and got himself transferred there in the year 1908.

Successful rebellion was suppressed with the help of bribery

A revolutionary group called the Committee of Unity and Progress had been formed in Salonika two years earlier. As soon as he reached there, Kamal Ataturk immediately became its member. Although he did not get along with the leaders of this organization, he continued to work for the committee. Meanwhile, a faction of this committee revolted against the Turkish government.

The army sent to fight the rebels also joined this faction and together they planned to attack the capital against the then Sultan Abdul Hamid. Meanwhile, Abdul Hamid bribed some army soldiers and turned them to his side, who killed their officers.

After hanging the Sultan, he handed over the power to his nephew

When all this was happening, the leader of the committee, Anwar, was in Berlin. After returning from there, he removed Abdul Hamid from power and hanged more than 20 leaders who stood against him. This brought power into the hands of the revolutionary committee. Abdul Hamid's nephew was given power only in name. During this time, Kamal Ataturk kept conspiring against Anwar because he did not agree with his ideas.

On the other hand, Anwar started working to fulfill his pan-Islamic dream. Under this, he handed over the responsibility of organizing the Turkish army to a German general. Kamal Ataturk openly revolted against this. He said that this was an insult to the Turkish race. In such a situation, Kamal was made a military ambassador and sent to Sofia.

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. Photo: Pixabay

Greek army pushed back

Meanwhile, World War broke out. During this time, Kamal Ataturk foiled the British plot to capture Constantinople. Turkey was defeated in this war but Kamal kept protesting against the foreigners. In 1920 AD, the Treaty of Swarsa was signed but Kamal refused to accept its conditions and prepared to attack Constantinople. By then, Greece attacked Turkey. By then, Angara had become the main center of Kamal Ataturk and the Greek army started moving towards Angara. Kamal Ataturk fought bravely and slowly pushed the Greek army back.

Kamal became the first President of Türkiye

Seeing this, France and Russia also started secretly helping Kamal Ataturk. Due to this, the Greek army had to leave within a few days. The British were still present in many parts of the country. On the other hand, the whole country had stood with Kamal Ataturk and Britain was also not ready to fight. Therefore, Turkey became independent and Kamal declared his country a democracy and himself became its first President.

Maulvis started protest

After Kamal's rule began, the mullahs started opposing him. Kamal started campaigning against Islam. He also used government newspapers against him. Religious leaders issued fatwas against Kamal. Rising above all this, Kamal Ataturk abolished the Khilafat system in March 1924. He also declared Turkey a secular nation. Apart from this, he introduced a bill, which was opposed by most of the members of the Turkish Parliament. Seeing this opposition, Kamal got the bill passed by threatening the opposing members.

hanging the mullahs

Even then, Kamal was opposed by the mullahs from within. Many of Kamal Ataturk's old associates joined the mullahs. These people even took money from foreigners. Kamal Ataturk, seeing the opportunity, arrested their main leaders one day and hanged them. He also felt that hanging these mullahs alone would not work. Therefore, the country also needs modern education and abolishing old customs. He also stressed on abolishing traditional attire.

New laws implemented

As part of modernizing his country, Kamal Ataturk first attacked the Turkish cap. When he announced its removal, there were rebellions, which Kamal suppressed with the help of the army. Along with removing Islamic laws, he implemented new laws, which included the good things of countries like Switzerland, Germany and Italy. Kamal declared polygamy illegal. Men were instructed not to treat their wives like animals.

Every person in the country was given the right to vote. Bribery was banned and bribe-takers were given severe punishment. The purdah system was abolished. Arabic was replaced by the Roman script in Turkey. Kamal Ataturk himself came out on the streets and taught people the Roman alphabet. This put Turkey on the path of modernity and Turks became a modern race. Kamal Ataturk died on 10 November 1938 AD, by then he had become known all over the world as the creator of modern Turkey.