09:05AM, November 10th, 1938, Dolmabahce Palace / İstanbul
And since I was a child, I would go years back, to Dolmabahce Palace, to that Last night, with the time machine in my head on the evenings of every 9th of November. Maybe, back then it was my will to change the flow of time and save my hero from death, that was going through my child heart. I'm older now, but can I say that will of hopping on the time machine and going went away? I don't think so...
Growing up, I never needed a fictional hero, because I already had a real hero.
Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK
Founder of the modern Turkish Republic, the leader of a country's fight for independence. A mastermind who fit a whole country into his short life. His revolutions gave many things to the Turkish people on our way to modernization and civilization.
Some of his revolutions:
• The proclamation of the republic(October 29th, 1923)
• Civil Law(February 17th, 1926) A true sense of equality was realized in the social field. Men and women were equalized on matters of being witnesses in courts, heritance, and divorce. The principle of Single-wife marriage and the right of working in any job for women were recognized.
• Letter revolution ( November 1st, 1928): With the change of Arabic alphabet of Ottoman Empire time to Latin alphabet that's proper for the modern world, the literacy rate that was %10 rose to more than %99 today.
• The Surname Law(June 21st, 1934) Because there were no last names of people earlier, except some noble(?)families, many Turkish people's family tree records don't go too far back..
• Women’s rights(1933-1934) The right to elect and be elected were given to Turkish women. Women were able to take office in parliaments and local governments.
Although most of Mustafa Kemal's life passed on battlefields, peace was always his biggest passion and dream. I think his quote "Peace at home, peace in the world" describes this clearly.
His admiration and faith of science and arts became a guiding light to new generations. "If oneday, my words are against science, choose science"
And lastly his letter to the mothers of fallen Anzac soldiers in Çanakkale wars:
in 1934 Atatürk wrote a tribute to the ANZACs killed at Gallipoli:
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land. They have become our sons as well."
Humans die, their ideas live forever …
Rest in peace, my hero…
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