Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born in 1881 in Salonica, a city of the Ottoman Empire. He died on 10 November 1938 in Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul. In between he fought at Çanakkale, led a national resistance from Anatolia and became the first president of the Republic of Turkey. This article follows his life using only official and academic sources.
Where was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk born, and where is he from?
Atatürk was born in 1881 in Salonica, inside the borders of the Ottoman Empire. His father was Ali Rıza Efendi. His mother was Zübeyde Hanım. His birth name was simply Mustafa. So when someone asks where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is from, the short answer is Salonica, an Ottoman city, not the Republic he later founded.
He did not know his exact birthday. According to Afet İnan, he adopted 19 May as his birthday, the date he landed in Samsun in 1919. A reply written by Hasan Rıza Soyak on 12 November 1936 gave his birth date as 19 May 1881.
From schoolboy to staff captain
The name Kemal came from school. In 1893 Mustafa entered the Salonica Military Rüştiye, a military middle school. His mathematics teacher, Mustafa Sabri Bey, added the name Kemal. From then on he was Mustafa Kemal.
He finished the War Academy in Istanbul on 11 January 1905 with the rank of staff captain. His first posting was with the 5th Army in Damascus.
Tobruk and Çanakkale
The war over Tripolitania took him to North Africa. On 19 December 1911 he was appointed commander of the Tobruk region.
Çanakkale made his name. On 25 April 1915 the 19th Division under his command moved against the forces landing at Arıburnu.
19 May 1919: Samsun and the national struggle
On 19 May 1919 Mustafa Kemal landed in Samsun as Inspector of the 9th Army. The Amasya Circular of 22 June 1919 declared that independence would be saved by the nation’s own will and determination. It also called for a congress at Sivas.
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) opened in Ankara on 23 April 1920. Mustafa Kemal was elected its president the next day, 24 April.
After the Battle of Sakarya, the assembly gave him the rank of marshal and the title of gazi on 19 September 1921. On 30 August 1922 the Turkish army under his supreme command won the Battle of Dumlupınar, known in Turkey as the Commander-in-Chief’s Battle.
What did Mustafa Kemal Atatürk do as president?
On 29 October 1923 the Republic was proclaimed. Mustafa Kemal was elected its first president.
Reforms followed quickly. On 3 March 1924 the caliphate was abolished. The same day the Law on the Unification of Education (Tevhid-i Tedrisat) was passed, bringing schooling under one system.
Between 15 and 20 October 1927 he read Nutuk, his long account of the national struggle and the founding of the Republic. On 1 November 1928 the assembly adopted the law introducing the new Turkish letters.
He also wrote a schoolbook. In the winter of 1936–1937 he prepared a geometry book at Dolmabahçe. It was printed in 1937. An order by Saffet Arıkan dated 15 October 1937 made it the basis for school textbooks.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s surname (soyadı) and signature (imzası)
On 24 November 1934 the assembly passed a law giving Mustafa Kemal the surname Atatürk. A second law, number 2622, dated 17 December 1934, banned anyone else from using the surname Atatürk. It also banned forming names by adding words before or after it.
His signature followed the new name. His will, written in his own hand on 5 September 1938, ends with the signature ‘K. ATATÜRK’.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s children and family
Atatürk married Latife Hanım on 29 January 1923. The marriage ended on 5 August 1925.
The official biography lists his adopted children: Afet İnan, Sabiha Gökçen, Ülkü, Nebile, Rukiye and Zehra. Afet İnan is also the source for the story of his chosen birthday.
He kept animals he valued. His horse was named Sakarya. His dog was named Fox.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s religion
His personal faith is debated. Some sources describe his belief as agnosticism, deism or atheism. Those who disagree point to his speeches of the 1920s that spoke positively of Islam, and to his support for translating the Qur’an into Turkish. Neither side has settled the question, so treat confident claims with care.
The Mustafa Kemal Atatürk paradox
Searches for the ‘Atatürk paradox’ usually mean one tension: modernization alongside authoritarian rule. Paul Kubicek, writing in Oxford Bibliographies, records the modernizing reforms of 1923–1938. He also stresses that this was a single-party system in which political opposition was limited and suppressed. Both things were true at the same time. That is the paradox.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s death story
Atatürk died of cirrhosis at 09:05 on 10 November 1938 in Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul. He had signed his handwritten will two months earlier, on 5 September 1938. The Atatürk Research Center’s history of the Republic gives his lifespan, 1881 to 1938, as 57 years.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s grave: from the Ethnography Museum to Anıtkabir
On 21 November 1938 his body was placed in a temporary resting place at the Ethnography Museum in Ankara. It stayed there for fifteen years. On 10 November 1953, the fifteenth anniversary of his death, it was moved to Anıtkabir in Ankara. If you visit Ankara, Anıtkabir is where you will find his grave.
How to pronounce Atatürk
Cambridge Dictionary gives the British English pronunciation as /ˈæt.ə.tɜːk/ and the American English pronunciation as /ˈæt̬.ə.tɝːk/. The stress falls on the first syllable in both.
The Mustafa Kemal Atatürk film
The 2023 film Atatürk 1881–1919 covers the years from his birth to his landing at Samsun.
Timeline
- 1881 Born in Salonica.
- 1893 Entered the Salonica Military Rüştiye.
- 11 January 1905 Graduated from the War Academy as a staff captain.
- 19 December 1911 Appointed commander of the Tobruk region.
- 25 April 1915 Led the 19th Division at Arıburnu.
- 19 May 1919 Landed in Samsun.
- 22 June 1919 Amasya Circular issued.
- 23 April 1920 TBMM opened in Ankara.
- 19 September 1921 Given the rank of marshal and the title of gazi.
- 30 August 1922 Won the Commander-in-Chief’s Battle at Dumlupınar.
- 29 October 1923 Republic proclaimed; elected first president.
- 3 March 1924 Caliphate abolished; Law on the Unification of Education passed.
- 15–20 October 1927 Read Nutuk.
- 1 November 1928 New Turkish letters adopted.
- 24 November 1934 Given the surname Atatürk.
- 1937 Geometry book published.
- 10 November 1938 Died at Dolmabahçe Palace.
- 10 November 1953 Body moved to Anıtkabir.
Details you won’t find in guidebooks
- A surname protected by law. Law 2622 of 17 December 1934 made Atatürk a surname no one else could use. Adding a word before or after it to make a new name was also banned.
- A birthday chosen, not recorded. Atatürk did not know his exact birth date. Afet İnan reports that he adopted 19 May. The official reply of 12 November 1936 by Hasan Rıza Soyak fixed it as 19 May 1881.
- A president who wrote a geometry textbook. The book he prepared at Dolmabahçe in the winter of 1936–1937 was printed in 1937 and became the basis for school books by order of Saffet Arıkan.
- A horse called Sakarya and a dog called Fox. The horse shared its name with the 1921 battle that earned him the rank of marshal.
- Which football club? In 2009 İnan Kıraç claimed Atatürk supported Galatasaray. Researcher Doğan Yıldız objected, arguing that the school or club ties of people around him do not prove his own loyalty.
FAQ
Where was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk born?
He was born in 1881 in Salonica, then inside the borders of the Ottoman Empire. His parents were Ali Rıza Efendi and Zübeyde Hanım. His birth name was Mustafa; the name Kemal was added by his mathematics teacher in 1893.
How did Mustafa Kemal Atatürk die?
He died of cirrhosis at 09:05 on 10 November 1938 in Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul. The Atatürk Research Center gives his lifespan as 57 years.
Where is Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s grave?
His grave is at Anıtkabir in Ankara. His body was first placed in a temporary resting place at the Ankara Ethnography Museum on 21 November 1938 and moved to Anıtkabir on 10 November 1953.
Did Mustafa Kemal Atatürk have children?
The official biography lists his adopted children: Afet İnan, Sabiha Gökçen, Ülkü, Nebile, Rukiye and Zehra. He was married to Latife Hanım from 29 January 1923 to 5 August 1925.
How do you pronounce Atatürk in English?
Cambridge Dictionary gives /ˈæt.ə.tɜːk/ for British English and /ˈæt̬.ə.tɝːk/ for American English. The stress falls on the first syllable.
Sources
- Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye — M. Kemal Atatürk tccb.gov.tr
- Ministry of National Defence — Atatürk Chronology ata.msb.gov.tr
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism — Atatürk’s Life ktb.gov.tr
- Ministry of Youth and Sports — Atatürk’s Life gsb.gov.tr
- TBMM — A Look at This Week in History tbmm.gov.tr
- TBMM — Law No. 2622 www5.tbmm.gov.tr
- Turkish Historical Society, Belleten — Afet İnan, Atatürk’s Birthday belleten.gov.tr
- Çukurova University Turkology Research Center — Atatürk and the Turkish Language turkoloji.cu.edu.tr
- Ministry of National Defence — Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s Will ata.msb.gov.tr
- Atatürk Research Center — History of the Republic of Turkey II atam.gov.tr
- English Wikipedia — Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Personal life en.wikipedia.org
- Oxford Bibliographies — Paul Kubicek, Authoritarianism in Turkey academic.oup.com
- Ministry of National Education — Saray Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School sarayteknikeml.meb.k12.tr
- Çankaya Municipality — Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Sports Center cankaya.bel.tr
- Cambridge University Press — Atatürk Pronunciation dictionary.cambridge.org
Image: Atatürk Tokat’ta bir vatandaşı dinliyor (1930).jpg — Original photographer unknown., Public domain
