WHAT THEY SAY FOR ATATÜRK!

Türkiye

Mustafa Kemâl Atatürk always knew where to stop. This was one of his virtues I admired very much. Always thinking ahead, always being careful, these have won success for his work on the road of the country.

Fieldmarshall Fevzi ÇAKMAK

Atatürk, loving you is national worship.

Celal BAYAR

Steps brisk and in accord, a fine hand ornamented with long, slim fingers indicating an elegant and sensitive soul. Large shoulders created so that room remains for his generous heart, a head situated harmoniously on them. A superior man, always kind, laughing, joking and living everywhere without loosing anything of his grandiosity.

Avni DOĞAN

Recommend Mustafa Kemal for the Ministry of Military Affairs. He should come to the Military Affaires. There is nobody else who can gather the army.

Enver PAŞA

Atatürk is the main architect and the pure owner of the foundation of contemporary thinking and the democratic order.

Fethi BOLAYIR

Atatürk with a moderate and erect, slightly longer than medium height on which large shoulders and a chest are situated carries the stature of a statue. This imposing statue is governed by a really unique head with golden hair, sky-blue eyes which look as if piercing the soul of everything and a powerful face giving the impression to be made of bronze.

It is apparent that this head is not only Mustafa Kemâl's, but the head of all Turks. And the intelligence and the will-power of the nation have gathered there.

Lips closing tightly, a chin of a sound and sharp condition releases the meaning of will in this unique face. A ringing of a bell from far away and from the depths can be heard in his voice.

He talks right, he talks well. His words lack troublesomeness, are open, and it is impossible not to sense that he sees everything in its crystalline transparency and thinks that way.

While asking and explaining, he speaks his thoughts after his questions. If you think wrongly, you'll correct this by yourself while talking to him. Because his words, without letting you feel it, give you a new and right opinion.

When you pay attention, you feel that the question regarding the matter touches the most critical aspect of it. After having listened to him talking about different subjects and matters, you begin to believe that this unique hero, who sensed the future of the Dardanelles from the Anafartalar, and the liberation of Izmir and Turkiye from Dumlupinar, is not only a great soldier. Each feat, each necessity of the nation, of the country, each matter of civilization, the age and the world cannot escape his powerful view.

There are some famous people, whose fame has emerged from events and coincidences. When you talk to them you feel that the great man in your dream slowly begins to shrink. However in the presence of great Atatürk, the creator of events, victories and reforms one gains an unequaled power of heart.

Seeing the virtues of the Turkish people and creating miracles of them in the most impossible of times, certainly would indicate a unique power. But, depending on a power and genius higher than the weak and deficient powers of the nation and country, the people gained these two attributes, one higher than the other, only out of Atatürk.

Creation has many beauties and many greatnesses. However, doubtlessly a perfect man is higher than all beauties and greatnesses. In order to believe this from the heart, a moment of being together with Atatürk is sufficient.

İbrahim Alâettin GÖVSA

Atatürk has always been the defender of positive thought, modern civilization, human rights, democracy, social state of law, the leader of nations longing for freedom, the ruthless enemy of imperialism, of the violators of human rights.

Fethi BOLAYIR

Atatürk, great Turk, great man. He not only taught us to fight, but to love. Therefore are we one and united.

Prof. Dr. Fevzi ERCAN

This man, who made the whole world accept his genius, should have genial thoughts on each subject. I am not able to know these thoughts in advance. Ataturk knew very well to take necessary precautions when needed.

However, I would like to tell the people: the sentence which enraged Atatürk most was “underdeveloped country”.

Prof. Afet İNAN

With his words of “Peace in the country, peace in the world” Atatürk has become the greatest civilizor and the peacemaker of humanity.

Fethi BOLAYIR

Of course, it is not right and reasonable to definitely say which decisions a person no more living would take on various matters. Especially, if this person is a great genius like Atatürk...

However if we only slightly examine the causes which Atatürk followed in his lifetime, it will be possible to find there the answers to your questions.

1- Atatürk continuously made efforts to westernize. Of course, if he had lived we would walk on the same road.

2- If he had lived, no country or state could demand lands from us. He would violently reject such a demand. For him, if needed, agreements with a foreign state had to be made wholly mutually. If he had lived this his habit would have continued also.

3- He determined the politics of life with his reforms based and laicism. If he had lived it is only natural that this politics would have continued also. The development of the villagers, whom he called the masters of the country and the villages was the one of the basics of these policies.

Hasan Rıza SOYAK, General Secretary, Presidency

K. ATATÜRK, the victorious commander of the battlefield, the ardent defender on the tables of peace, lover of freedom and independence; the ardent supporter of democracy, national sovereignty and national dominance, has shown the target of the youth he has entrusted the Republic to found modern Türkiye enlightened by science and technology.

Fethi BOLAYIR

1- The place Western civilizor Ataturk was going to take “after the blocking of the Second World War” would doubtlessly have been in the front of democracy. Anyhow, the direction he gave our politics as soon as he won the victory over the Allied Powers showed this apparently.

Our friendly relationships with England and America began from that period.

2- Accordingly, Atatürk would never have hesitated to approve and accept both the Three-Party Agreement made with the English and French at the beginning of the Second World War and the Turkish-American alliance (on the condition of binding to more sound basics as for our national interests) after the War.

3- If Ataturk had lived, our inner politics today would not have fallen into the weakness which has paved the way to the tumult of today.

Yakup Kadri OSMANOĞLU

1- Without any moment of hesitation he would prefer the front of freedom. Ataturk was a supporter of interdependence. During his lifetime he continued his foreign policy on the interdependence with the States of the Balkan and the Sadabat Pact.

2- He would ally with America. This alliance is different, two party agreements are different. Doubtlessly America has rescued Türkiye out of the paws of Russia.

3- In domestic politics he would fight fiercely with reaction and communism. He would embrace the constitutional regime of today.

Falih Rıfkı ATAY

Kemalism, which is the philosophy of life of Ataturk and consequently of the Turkish Nation and youth, is based on the absolute superiority of national will and that national sovereignty is owned unconditionally by the nation.

Fethi BOLAYIR

1- Of course Ataturk would choose the Western freedom front. After all, during his lifetime he had proved that he approached the West. The evidence are the Alliance of the Balkan and the Sadabat Pact.

Always taking the West as his model Ataturk has thought to pull the Turkish Nation to the level of western civilization and even above it.

This great man has taught the Turk that he is a Turk and implanted the nation to be proud of itself.

2- If he had lived, could Russia demand bases and three provinces back? This is a question for thought. Because, before Ataturk, who enchanted the whole world with his authority, the attitudes of the foreign states could be different.

In our age all nations are supporting and assisting each other. Of course we cannot be alone and only outside of these unions. Therefore, I think that Ataturk would ally with America.

3- As for his domestic politics of today, Ataturk wished peace and tranquility, which he wished also to give the nation.

In order to establish peace in the country, he would abstain from nothing. He behaved harsh, or soft, as the conditions asked for. Having heard the Kubilay event, he immediately went from Edirne to Menemen and punished the guilty.

İsmail Hakkı TEKÇE, Commander, Troop of Guards

1- Our politics are known. Remaining neutral/impartial. Friends with the right wing, friends with the left wing. If one of these friends provokes us against the other, we could say to him: Do not exaggerate, we can unite with the other and beat you.

Thus, our main problem was to remain impartial within freedom.

2- I don't see myself authorized to answer your question. Because Ataturk was such a genius, he knew how to act according to the base and time. Therefore, he would act as he deemed necessary for the interests of the fatherland.

3- In domestic politics, Ataturk has always been progressive. As far as I know he would not make concessions on his reforms.

Yusuf Kemal TENGİRŞENİK

At a time the independence and freedom of the Turks were about to fall into darkness, Mustafa Kemal rose like a sun in the horizon of Anatolia and drowned this darkness with his light. He brought the daylight the Turkish nation was waiting for, fallen into darkness and suffering. He showed the way of liberation. He wrote the epic of the Turkish War of Liberation. He brought the yearning his nation waited for.

Fethi BOLAYIR

The Turks learned self-confidence, the resolve to win and to be indefeatable from him. On the path he paved they will be victorious forever. (1988)

Prof. Dr. Fevzi ERCAN

A piece of information which we have not seen anywhere until today has become the subject of research with the question of a curious person: How tall was Atatürk? We did not have any records on this. Ibrahim Alaattin GOVSA describes Ataturk as follows: “Ataturk was of medium height,almost tall. Since he was very well formed his stature gave always the impression of being taller.”

Where lies the border of medium height and long? If the description of Govsa is taken into account, saying “Since he was very well formed his stature gave always the impression of being taller”, then Ataturk has to be of medium height. And, one of the researchers said that he was 1.68 m tall. But this was a height which was too short for us, who thought of an “imposing” great man. Why do we think it necessary for great man to be “large”? Many of the great men in history are medium height, even short. Isn't this a childish thought? While in primary school, which of the children could jump down from a height of 1.5 m? None thought it to be easy to jump down. Lastly one of them said shortly:

“Even Mustafa Kemal Paşa cannot jump from here!”

Some “outer appearance” stories have been told about Ataturk. One could not look directly into his eyes. An ambassador got so much excited meeting him that his feet slipped and he fell down.

Mithat Cemal Kuntay has written a poem addressing the Italian sculptor Kanonika, who made the sculptures of Ataturk. He has tried in this poem to mix his material greatness with his expressive greatness. His poem beginning with:

“Of course you know who he is?
But you can't understand him: he is ours.
Don't you know, can he be represented with these hands?
Ends this way:

“Let it be human height, but let it touch the skies,
Let on his chest appear the size of a nation.
Let the shoulders be more awful than mountain parts,
Carries on his back my country, my homeland.”

The poet wants the shoulders of the great man to be more imposing than the mountains. It is understood that people wish to see great men to be tall. “Let it be human height, but let it touch the skies!”

There is a painting of Ataturk in soldier's uniform, the body is long and large, but the head is small. This measurelessness is explained with a story. The painter asks Ataturk how he should make the height, Ataturk points to a soldier standing away; says to take model of the height of this soldier. We do not know whether this story is real, or not. What we know is that the painter has been deceived by his desire to paint him huge.

Mithat Cemal Kuntay asks the sculptor to show the man who carries the fatherland on his back with a strong body such as that of mythical Atlas. In the photographs taken in 1919, when Ataturk had begun the War of Liberation, we see a man who remains frail among the pale faced, slim sized, tall friends. Here, this man has completed the gigantic feats.

Let's now listen to Ataturk:

“To see me, does not mean to see my face always. If you understand and feel my ideas, my feelings, that's enough.” (1929)

That's where Ataturk is.

It's true, we cannot abstract from his blonde hair, blue eyes, his body which is an image of subtlety. However, Ataturk is all above a “thought”. A thought has liberated this land, a thought has reprocessed and re-founded it. They say the sculptor has thought over the stone. Actually, the human bodies and the human faces engraved in the stone are nothing else than the thought of the sculptor. The body of Ataturk, which all of us wish to see in a different aspect, to imagine in different views, is now dust. Above him a great monument rises. However, the thoughts of Ataturk still exist. Furthermore they are fresh. These thoughts were spoken thinking of the future. In these thoughts the youth, the security and the illuminated future of a country are included. Ataturk lived within the Turkish Nation, knew deeply all its existence. During his lifetime he has processed the philosophy of life for his beloved nation and has spoken of this philosophy in his speeches and conversations. All these are now waiting in books. We will find Ataturk in these speeches, conversations. If not for his appearance, his body we imagine to be a mountain, he is in them with his thoughts sublime like skies. He shines in them like the sun of thought.

Sami Nâbi ÖZERDİM

Ataturk is both the greatest hero and the chief author of the epic of the Turkish independence and freedom.

Fethi BOLAYIR

Ataturk was the symbol of Turkish rhetoric. His speeches have been the light of darkest days. Beginning the national struggle, he described the belief he felt to his nation with the most eloquent words. He was a genius commander, great reformer, unique politician. If a man in addition to one of this characteristics furthermore is an orator, success is half-achieved. He talks for hours, rolls like a cannon, babbles like a waterfall, flashes like lightning.

His magic voice addressed the soul, his elegant gestures carried away his audience. Speaking, his intelligent eyes lit up, his sweet face grew and it felt as if the speaker was not a man, but the history of reforms.

Beginning the revolution he gathered the nation around himself through his statements and speeches. In the historical First Grand National Assembly he was the most heroic orator of secret and open sessions. When he spoke the wavy sea calmed down. When he cried out, the calm air tempested.

In his journeys as President there was another manner and another magic in his speeches to the nation. The history of rhetorics shall say he was an orator who was been listened to for hours.

The speeches of Ataturk are a page in our history of reforms., the coming generation will learn by heart his speech to the youth with love and they will maintain his sacred trust as the guardian of the state he founded.

(Turkish Orators) Taha TOROS

His greatest dream was to see the Turkish nation developed in science and economy; to see them tiredlessly working as a nation. However, he was not able to see the resolution and decision, the successes gained of his nation swearing to this aim.

(1988)

Prof. Dr. Fevzi ERCAN

We had longed for ages for his birth… Among us came a corona of light. Whatever he touched with his high will, unreachable intelligence, deep thought, there flowed the most ardent and clear springs of life…

How happy we are, we have seen the most magical work of creation live among us… Like the secret worship in our years of calamity, we have remembered his sacred name trembling with excitement.

Ages… Ages without end?….

Let his honoured name reach the happy generations of the future; let them also know the epic of victory of this hero, who was admired by the world.

Let them mention the name of a Turk to those who ask who was the greatest hero in history?…

The generation, which has enjoyed inattainable happiness under his shadow, how unhappy you are: you have seen the death of a hero, who rushed you from one victory to the other, who made reforms, who gave you life, joy, hope through his might… having seen the infinite might in him we thought his material existence also to be eternal. Just as every mortal, he has died, too; decaying flesh and bone, then a handful dust!… This magnificent creature, born out of ages by will of the creator, vanished within a moment… No!… Impossible, this is not just… Shall God, who has created him strong with his own magnificence, destroy his most perfect work?… I don't believe this. He wanted to free him from mortality, so he gave him the supremest jewel of thought, of genius… In our days of calamity, God show mercy on us, he was the power, a high thought sent as the savior to the Turkish world, condensed out of the genius, intelligence and will of millions of Turks. He won't walk anymore among us!… We won't see anymore his beautiful face giving us eternal love and trust!… The light of his blue eyes full of the sharpness of lightning won't illuminate us anymore!…

The pain is great. But with the real existence of thought, now is he living within us. And he will live with the same power and vigour in the paths of the future reaching to eternity, in the souls of the future generations…

What a greatness!…

You have not died!…

The symbol of a belief marching to eternity in our souls!…

Ye Sacred thought!… Ye victory!

Cafer SENO

The sun of the freed risen in the horizons of Samsun has set ablaze and destroyed the occupying forces and the theocratic administrators. At the same time he became the light of the captivated nations. This sun is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Fethi BOLAYIR

The Turks are the conquerors and rulers of the twentieth century, since the greatest man of the twentieth century has been brought forth by the Turks.

Raif Necdet KESTELLİ

Ataturk understood well our need and obligation to become a national state, has formed it through his rational practices and placed it on its real course. The only work to be done is to continue on the course he has shown.

Av. Ünsal AKTAŞ

Ataturk was the man who turned the heart of the Turks from leaning for centuries towards the middle ages, their eyes from looking towards the deserts of Arabistan to civilization, to the present century and future.

Ali Fuad BAŞGİL

Ataturk has been a source of inspiraton not only for us Turks, but for humanity. Whatever he did and said was an example of deepest thought and comprehension, highest patriotism, largest human feelings.

Yusuf Hikmet BAYUR

1- Of course would he prefer the western freedom front.

2- Allying with America would be appropriate for him. However, with an agreement to be made with America he would protect the high interests of our country and he would think that the geography of our country is at the same time defending America, and thus he would make two party agreements more useful to us.

3- In the domestic politics of today nothing would be different as to the constitution. However, in the laicism affairs he would execute a more definite and sensitive policy. Furthermore, he would work for a more qualified and informed education, especially in the areas of positive sciences (technical and rational knowledge), of the theologians. He wished this deeply, but his life did not last long enough for this.

He never accepted concessions on his reforms. If needed, he would have thought of harsh precautions to prevent this. He was the great hero who loved this land most and who wished it to develope in the shortest possible time.

Fahrettin ALTAY

“The creation of great work shall not be completed in an impossibly short time. The creators who will succeed us, have not been born yet: Are their honours, glories and deeds, whatever they shall be born for, not the opportunities for greatness?"

"Gazi (the veteran, another name for Atatürk) had begun to create a new Türkiye within his own personality from his childhood on. If we have not an intelligence, a way of thinking and an acuteness of mind just as he had, if we do not possess his patience and energy, we cannot resemble him.”

“Gazi, we think we immediately know him from his anecdotes, his stories, his writings or this speeches, however, seeking, we discover always a new secret. He grows like a mountain the more we approach him. Only when we hold him in our hand, it is then we cannot see the whole.”

Falih RIFKI

An intelligence fed with an extraordinary strong memory, a progressive presentiment, a sound common sense, drawing unmistaken conclusions, fitting judgement, definite decision, strength of rapid execution.

Kneaded among dreams, plans, secrert publications, organizations, exiles, revolutions and reforms, the child of an idealist generation, matured still young through many experiences!

Wounded in his heart by a shrapnel in Canakkale, but did not die, although he fell from the horse and broke his ribs in Sakarya, he did not leave the battlegroung, talked for hours, discussed tiredlessly, exchanged ideas, his body sound as a rock…

Rüşen Eşref ÜNAYDIN

Ataturk was middle sized,almost tall. Since his stature was very well formed, he has always made an impression of to being taller. His broad and full shoulders and chest were proportioned and drew attention. His body was fully harmonious and there was no aesthetic deficiency. A statue-like awe in his attitudes, lively and swift movements, and an elegant excellence dazzled everybody. His head, appropriate to the largeness of his shoulders and chest was large and formed, and crowned by blonde hair. This extraordinary hair, since leaving at both sides a more open forehead, was neatly combed back and resembled a lion's mane on top of a man's head. Frowning but not curved eyebrows increased the characteristics of the face as if wound up and twisted backwards. And below these thick eyebrows there were the large, slightly casted skyblue eyes glittered and lit up with light,the meaning of which changed each moment. The high cheeks were prominent and since the eyes were fairly apart from each other the face could be seen from the opposite and the nose, being perfect, stood large as to feed the importance of this muscular face with its full wings. Especially the symbolic motions of the wings showed the high sensibility of the character.

The tight closing of the thin lips, the sound stature of the chin expressed the will power of his soul. Slim and long-fingered hands, the hands of an artist which expressed not destructiveness but constructiveness, the beautiful hands, which with harmonious gestures increased elegance and eloquence, completed the character of Ataturk and pointed always to the basic points and horizons to be reached.

29 October 1953 Hürriyet Newspaper

The English Military Attaché Armstrong describes a ball night in his work “Mustafa Kemâl”. He says that among those who left in the morning only Ataturk left with the same care as he came in, from the knot of his necktie up to the ironing of his dress. This person who paid so much attention to his outer appearance is at the same time a treasure of knowledge and thoughts.

None of the works he did were casual. All bear the deep traces of a mature consciousness. These new ideas forming in a well thinking mind sprung out when the days came just like colorful chicks out of eggs and amazed the audience. These are lovely ideal birds.

Beauty lives in the harmony of this reality and harmony lives in the beauty of this reality.

We advance through the ages year by year, because our measure is its speed. The heritage of the past, up to the ways of thinking, we have donated to the past. With a new system of feeling we try to be a model for humanity!

Such an educator is Atatürk.

It is difficult to know him through his deeds, we have to comprehend him by the high mathemetics of the life he lived and the things he thought which cannot be fit into material measures. This might smiling to impossibility and embracing gaps has best been understood with the unknown great might.

He is deep psychology noticed more from day to day, a logician forming ideas as he wishes, an educator leading the way to the world and finally a model of great man thought of by philosophers!

Atatürk has founded such a monument of the Republic, the wonders of ages have been pressed into years and they pay their humble respect!…

Which head will not bow in front of this creative might which will be envied even by history?…

In this figure, which will immediately attract you, live creative pleasures in their last development. No actor was able enact his gestures just as Ataturk. Maybe he is the best dressed man in the world.

Dr. Mesut FANİBİLGİLİ

Ataturk is a being who immediately sweeps off the pessimistic feelings and who immediately instills his surroundings the necessary joy and power for working, for being strong, advanced and happy in the country.

İsmet İNÖNÜ

The richness of the national wealth of the Turkish nation are the ideas and thoughts of Ataturk. The real and sole inheritor of this national wealth is the Turkish youth. (1988)

Fethi BOLAYIR

Above all, he had such a sensitivity, attractiveness in his own stature, behaviour, look and speech, that he pleased from the beginning and everybody liked him.

Prof. Dr. Hikmet BAYUR

The sweetness of his conversation was unequaled. And in his presence subjects of social sciences, of positive and useful character were always discussed. He himself was solid knowledge and politeness. As far as etiquette was concerned, I don't remember coming across more noble manners than Ataturk's.

Yunus NADİ

Most heroic soldier and best commander in the battlefields, most polite and civilized man in the ballroom, most successful teacher, who wished to transfer the whole country into a school, the most efficient and far-sighted chief as the head of state, the least astray, the most sensitive diplomate, the most loyal friend in personel relationships, the most fervent patriot as regards the nation's and country affairs, the most hard-working researcher in scientific researches. I don't know, a man who wants to do everything perfectly. We define him only with the name Kemâl Atatürk. While remembering this name, don't let us forget all these meanings.

The main duty of the Turkish intellectual is to search for, understand and extipulate the reality of Ataturk.

H. A. YÜCEL

If Mustafa Kemâl Pasa had not begun the battle, this country would not have been saved. If the weak, but nation-wideresistance movements, which began in places subject to danger in the west, east and south and which were the product of a patriotic thought, had not been united by Mustafa Kemal Pasa, each could have been supressed. May he sleep in peace, great savior.

Rauf ORBAY

The Greek armies were marching on to Ankara. Early in the morning we met at the National Assembly. We were going to be informed by him.

He asked for a map of Anatolia, we brought it. With a red pen he drew a broad long line in the rear of Sakarya and pointing to this line he said:

- We shall beat the enemy here. We believed him, why and how we believed, I still don't know.

He took this duty and vanquished the enemy at the line he drew. He returned from Sakarya to Ankara with a childish smile. By his personal effort, he had won a battle, which would have been the absolute end of the Turkish independency, if he had lost it.

Hamdullah Suphi TANRIÖVER

Ataturk is a enormous national power for the Turkish Nation. He is the greatest spiritual support of our existence.

Rauf ORBAY

The dream of a happy and prosperous Türkiye is the sole wish of the Turkish youth who has taken an oath to walk in the illuminated traces of Ataturk. This wish shall blossom from day to day and strengthening it will pass from one generation to the other.

Fethi BOLAYIR

Ataturk had a dynamic soul. A man enraptured by him cannot remain in the same place. Ataturk owned developing and enlargening thought. Those who follow him do not lag.

Ataturk is our leader, our light for today, and for tomorrow.

Cemal GÜRSEL

Following you involves the cheerfulness of definite success. When you enter eternity, the Turkish generations shall walk on your footsteps. The interest of the Turkish Nation's claim is only in you.

İsmet İNÖNÜ

The life of Atatürk proves only one eternal case. Success is always that of singular ideas.

Sadi IRMAK

His real person is more charming, more lively, more extraordinary than his pictures. His high cheeks are prominent, his mouth bones are strong and his forehead is harsh. And in this face there is the expression of those who have had great pains, struggles, thoughts; however no trace of tiredness… (1921)

Arrogance and conceit, which are the graves of each hero, each genius, did not visit him. (1922)

Yakup Kadri KARAOSMANOĞLU

The hope of this mighty man was not in strength, but in intelligence and justice.

Nurullah ATAÇ

Ataturk was ready to sacrifice his position his nation could give him in the highest period of prosperity for his ideas. Never was there any concession, any recession, any contradiction.

Falih Rıfkı ATAY

Above all there was a sympathy, attractiveness in himself, his stature, his behavior, his look and his speech, he pleased from the beginning and everybody believed him.

Prof. Dr. Hikmet BAYUR

A great soldier, a great reformer, but above all a great idealist.

Falih Rıfkı ATAY

He walked in the direction the common sense of this nation showed him, under the light of science for the happiness of all of us. The historians and his relatives talking of him said: - Ataturk was a realist. He did what he had to do.

Orhan Seyfi ORHON

With a look he could defeat and with a stroke he let us touch the skies. When we lined up in crowds at the edge of death with his signal, we understood how human we were and we tasted the great pleasure of living for ultimacy. Therefore, they won't be able to find the things seen in the managing of war and attacking the enemy in any other period of history.

Hasan Reşit TANKUT

The sun has never heated any nation as this one and has never given blessings to any nation asthis one. No period in history has ever enlightened its surrounding as his period did.

Ercüment Ekrem TALU

ATATÜRK is the only source of inspiration for the dynamic Turkish Youth who are, like a torrent or lighting, running for a luminous future, contemporary thought, and the ideal of a modern and powerful Türkiye.

Fethi BOLAYIR

He would enter the trenches as if he was a commander of General Staff entering a parlor.

He would frequently come to the trenches towards which the enemy's cannons were Aimed, waiting stealthily with their fire-scattering mouths; he was standing with us shoulder to shoulder and scrutinizing the enemy's trenches.

I was still trembling while showing the way to him despite the fact that I was used to the life in trenches not for days but for months. Nevertheless, he would always straighten up stepping on his toes and look the enemy's trenches over our trenches.

We could not raise our heads from the trenches because of the enemy's heavy fire in Çanakkale. But he would just watch this intense fire even without blinking his eyes.

I first came to know him as “The Man who does not know what fear is”.

Mahmut YESARİ

Since the time we heard his name and learned his heroism we felt our health, recognizing our vigor, and enjoying the joy of living which was forgotten long ago. Once we were orphans, we found our Father; He became our Father (Ata).

We were poor and he brought us wealth and comfort.

Nurettin ARTAM