Today marks the 88th anniversary of the passing of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Türkiye.
Sea-news.az recalls that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born in 1881 in Salonica.
Entering a military high school in 1896, Atatürk gained immense prestige through his military leadership during World War I and the Turkish War of Independence.
Leading the national liberation struggle launched in 1919, he played a pivotal role in securing Türkiye’s sovereignty and independence.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk also entered history as Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha. Following the decisive victory of the Turkish army in the Battle of Sakarya, which lasted from August 23 to September 13, 1921, the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye conferred upon him the title of “Ghazi” and the rank of Field Marshal on September 19.
Following the proclamation of the Republic by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on October 29, 1923, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was elected as the nation’s first President.
During his presidency, he implemented comprehensive reforms across Türkiye’s political, legal, economic, social, and cultural spheres. Key transformations executed by Atatürk included modernizing the education system, adopting the Latin alphabet, granting political rights to women, and establishing a secular state structure.
In 1934, he was granted the surname “Atatürk” by law, and the use of this surname by any other person was legally prohibited — a restriction that remains in force to this day.
Facing health complications from 1937 onward, Atatürk passed away at the age of 57 on November 10, 1938, at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.
In 1953, his remains were transferred to his final resting place at Anıtkabir in Ankara. Every year on the anniversary of his passing, commemoration ceremonies are held across Türkiye, marked by a nationwide minute of silence at 09:05 AM — the exact moment of his death.
