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Voice of OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ATATÜRK SOCIETY OF AMERICA | SPRING 2007

Atatürk’s Address to the Turkish Youth

You, the Turkish youth!Your first duty is to preserve and to defend TurkishIndependence and the Turkish Republic forever. This isthe very foundation of your existence and your future.This foundation is your most precious treasure. In thefuture, too, there may be malevolent people at homeand abroad, who will wish to deprive you of this treas-ure. If some day you are compelled to defend your inde-pendence and your Republic, you must not hesitate toweigh the possibilities and circumstances of the situa-tion before doing your duty. These possibilities and cir-cumstances may turn out to be extremely unfavorable.The enemies conspiring against your independenceand your Republic may have behind them a victoryunprecedented in the annals of the world.It may be that, by violence and trickery, all the fortress-es of your beloved fatherland may be captured, all itsshipyards occupied, all its armies dispersed and everycorner of the country invaded. And sadder and graverthan all these circumstances, those who hold powerwithin the country may be in error, misguided and mayeven be traitors. Furthermore, they may identify per-sonal interests with the political designs of the invaders.The country may be impoverished, ruined and exhaust-ed. Youth of Turkey's future, even in such circumstancesit is your duty to save Turkish Independence and theRepublic. You will find the strength you need in yournoble blood.

Kemal AtatürkOctober 20, 1927

2 Voice of Atatürk � Spring’07

4731 Massachusetts Ave. NWWashington DC 20016

Phone 202 362 7173 Fax 202 363 4075 E-mail [email protected] www.ataturksociety.org

Executive Board

PresidentTimur Edib

Vice PresidentFiliz Odabas-Geldiay

TreasurerMirat YavalarSecretaryIlknur Boray

Board of Trustees Hudai Yavalar, Chairman, Founding President

Adm. William J.Crowe Jr.Prof. Ali DogramaciProf. Talat HalmanProf. Suna KiliHon. Greg LaughlinDr. Andrew MangoOrhan Tarhan, Past President

Prof. Behram Kursunoglu, Former Trustee

Recipients of Atatürk AwardsPeace & Democracy AwardSenator Robert C. ByrdRichard HolbrookeAdm. William J. Crowe Jr.

Secularism & Democracy AwardThe Turkish General StaffOrhan TarhanScience is Guidance AwardProf. Behram KursunogluUniversality of Civilization & PeaceAwardProf. Bernard LewisDr. Andrew MangoEducation & Modernization AwardProf. Turkan Saylan

Leadership AwardSenator Chuck HagelSpeaker Newt Gingrich

Magazine Design bySitki Kazanci

The AtatürkSociety of America

MembersBulent AtalayNilufer CulhaFerhan Kilical

ASA MISSION STATEMENT

The Atatürk Society of America (ASA) is an independent non-profit organization foundedin Washington DC in 1995 with the objective of promoting Atatürk’s political legacy.

ASA understands Atatürk’s political philosophy to be:� Sovereignty belongs to the people. People alone administer people. Public sovereignty

cannot be shared with any other authority, including a religious authority.� Rational education ensures absoluteness of public sovereignty rationality in politics.� Science leads to progress. Doctrines, including religious ideologies, hinder progress.� Contemporary civilization is the common heritage of mankind. All nations must partici-

pate in it through progress. The universality of civilization means peace at home andpeace in the world.

Towards this objective ASA organizes scholarly lectures, provides research fellowships,develops a resource and reference center, and makes representations regarding the impor-tance of Atatürk’s political philosophy for international prosperity and peace.

Voice of

Published Quarterly by the Atatürk Society of America, 4731 Massachusetts Ave.NW Washington DC 20016. ISSN 1544-0966

POSTMASTER: The Atatürk Society of America, 4731 Massachusetts Ave. NWWashington DC 20016Application to Mail at Periodical Postage Rates is Pending at Washington DC

and addititonal mailing offices. Articles related to Atatürk or his priciples are

welcome and should be accompanied by the name, address, and resume of the

author (not to be published). Articles are accepted only in an electronic format.

Copyright 2007 by ASA. Printed in the U.S.A.

ASA expresses its deep gratitude to Dr. Cevdat Turanfrom Michigan and Derya Yavalar from Baltimore fortheir generous contributions towards publicationof this issue of VOA.

Thanks

Spring’07 � Voice of Atatürk 3

Hudai YavalarChairman, Founding President

When one considers the most prominent reformers and leaders of the eighteenth,nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, the names of George Washington, ThomasJefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Kemal Atatürk come to mind. Although

these men governed during different centuries, their objectives were the same; to mod-ernize their laws and institutions to move their countries ahead, and to improve the livesof their citizens. While Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln governed and modernizedthe United States, Kemal Atatürk was a leader and reformer in the Republic of Turkey.Incredibly, many of their ideals, goals, and accomplishments were the same, whichreminds us that ultimately, modernity and progress require many of the same principles.

George Washington led the Continental Army against the British in the AmericanRevolutionary war. From a war hero, he became the First President for two consecutiveterms. Often referred to as the “Father of the nation,” he served as an example for futureleaders not only in America, but for newly emerging countries around the world formany years to come.

In 1776, he forced the British out of Boston, and kept going. After the end of the warin 1783, Washington shed his military garb and retired on Mount Vernon, not far fromWashington DC.

But duty called once again. Because the Articles of Confederation did not hold thecountry together, he supervised the drafting of the 1787 United States Constitution.

Washington became President in 1789, and worked diligently to steer his countryfrom danger and into the future. In 1793 his Proclamation of Neutrality kept peace inthe country.

Washington was assisted by his able colleague Thomas Jefferson who was tasked witha committee to update Virginia’s laws. Undertaking economic, social, and politicalreforms 1776-1796, one of the first issues was to provide the right to vote for all men,not just wealthy land owners.

Thomas Jefferson and his colleagues were asking themselves how they would moveforward in starting a new government. What should the makeup be, what should be therelationship between the states and the federal government?

Jefferson believed in secular education, not religion, reducing the influence of theAnglican church. Born and raised an Anglican, he believed in broader religious free-dom.

A strong believer in the rights of the individual not only in religion, but also in poli-tics, he implemented the separation of church and state. The first step was in 1779,when all Anglican clergy no longer received salaries from the government.

In addition, Jefferson modernized the existing legal system and penal code. The con-stitution for Virginia was a model for other states.

Nearly a hundred years later, Abraham Lincoln from Illinois was elected President ofthe United States in 1861. He governed during the difficult years of the Civil War, which

From the Chairman

continued on page 4

The Nation Builders:Washington, Jefferson,Lincoln and Atatürk


continued from page 3

cost thousands of lives. Yet he faced the challenge of puttingtogether a nation and watching over the reconstruction which fol-lowed.

But his 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and thirteenth amend-ment to the constitution abolished slavery. His GettysburgAddress emphasized freedom and democracy.

Abraham Lincoln’s legacy remains today, as he promoted nation-alism, and rebuilt a nation that overcame division and achievedunity. His assassination in 1865 made him a hero. In the 2007President’s Day survey, he was ranked as the country’s bestPresident.

Like George Washington, Atatürk was a military genius, an ex-general who led the country in its war of independence, andbecame the first President of a new nation, earning the name of“father of the nation” for Washington.. “Atatürk” had the samemeaning in Turkish for Mustafa Kemal who ejected the Ottomandynasty to form a new Republic.

While Washington had the Proclamation of neutrality, Atatürkknew that for the country to survive, it would have to steer clear offoreign entanglements, so he chose different words for the samemessage; ‘peace at home, peace in the world’ as a guiding principle.

He had the daunting task of rebuilding the country after a brutalwar of independence. After the Republic of Turkey was establishedin 1923 and Atatürk became its first President, he introduced aseries of reforms between 1924 and 1938 which transformed thecountry’s political, social, judicial, educational, and cultural lawsdesigned to modernize the country and anchor it firmly in thewest.

Like Jefferson, Atatürk was a reformer. He believed in secular-ism, and the rights of the individual. He modernized the legal sys-tem and the penal code. While Jefferson’s constitution served as amodel for other states, Atatürk’s was a model for other countrieswith predominantly Muslim populations.

One of the most dramatic political reforms was the abolishmentof the Sultanate and Caliphate, the end of the 600 year Ottomanempire, and the birth of a secular Republic of Turkey.

Social reforms included granting women equal rights, adoptionof the international calendar, removing the chador and fez fromthe dress, and a law requiring citizens to acquire last names.

Regarding judicial reforms, Turkish civil code and other lawswere aligned with those of Europe. A new Turkish Latin script wasadopted in November 1928, and modern fine arts was introducedas well as the organization of university education.

Like Lincoln, Atatürk was charged with forging a united nationout of many disparate pieces, and watching over the reconstructionthat followed. For the first time, “Turkey” was born on behalf ofTurks, and the term referred to a nation and last state with definedborders established on previously Ottoman soil. The countrieseach President formed lives today as the United States of Americaand the Republic of Turkey. �


Book Review By Turgut Burakreis

Jefferson & AtatürkPolitical Philosophies1

Anoted Jefferson scholar Dr. Garrett WardSheldon, The John Morton Beaty Professorof Political and Social Sciences at The

University of Virginia’s College at Wise is theauthor of The Political Philosophy of ThomasJefferson; The History of Political Theory; andReligion and Politics. He has lectured at OxfordUniversity, Moscow University, and at theUniversity of Istanbul.

Professor Sheldon’s book published in 2000 on“Jefferson & Ataturk” is a comparative study ofthe political theories of Thomas Jefferson, one ofthe founders of the United States of America, andKemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey.Similarities are found in their imperial settings,wars of national independence, establishment ofrepublics, freedom of religion, public education,and economics. The author hopes that his bookwill show similarities in political theory in theUnited States and Turkey , between the West andthe East that will bring the world’s peoples closertogether. The similarities of these two great polit-ical thinkers are summarized by Dr. Sheldon asfollows:

“At first glance, Thomas Jefferson and KemalAtatürk seem to be unusual compatriots.Jefferson, the eighteenth-century NorthAmerican philosopher and a Founder of theUnited States; and Ataturk, the twentieth centurysoldier of the Ottoman Empire and Founder ofthe modern Republic of Turkey, seem separatedby history, culture, and temperament. Yet a closerexamination of these two historic political figuresreveals striking similarities in background, inter-ests, and ideals. From their growing up in vast,but decaying, empires to their leading nationalindependence movements, to their shared idealsof representative democracy, economic equalityand progress, religious freedom and liberty, and

love of the country side, Thomas Jefferson (anicon of American civilization) and Kemal Atatürk(the hero of Modern Turkey) show remarkablekinship across cultural and historical landscapes.This book examines these common characteris-tics and ideals in Jefferson and Ataturk, shovingthat distance and culture are not barriers toshared sacred ideals and practices. Althoughmany specific differences exist between these twoleaders, the extent of similarity, given their con-trasting environment and times, is an encourage-ment to all who believe in the commonality ofhumanity, wherever and whenever found on theglobe...

Both, Jefferson and Atatürk insisted that thebattle for national independence was not for arestoration of the past but for an entirely newpolitical system in America and Turkey: a demo-cratic republic. Each authored a “Declaration ofIndependence” extolling principle of republicangovernment by the consent of the people. Bothbecame outlaws to the old Empires...

A key component of a modern republic, forJefferson and Ataturk, was freedom of religion.Each had grown up in a society with a state reli-gion: The official Church of England for Jeffersonand the official Islamic state for Ataturk. Both sawthe legal involvement of religion in politics as cor-rupting both religion and politics…Likewise,both Jefferson and Atatürk saw education asessential to self-government. Each inherited asociety in which education was only for the priv-ileged few; and each helped establish a publiceducation system that elevated the average citizento literacy and intelligence…” �

1 “Jefferson & Ataturk: Political Philosophies” by Garrett WardSheldon, Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York, 2000, pp.139


MAY19, ATATÜRK REMEMBRANCEAND YOUTH & SPORTS DAY

The 19th of May has been celebratedas a national holiday in Turkey since1935. It marks the beginning of the

War of Independence. It was on 19 May 1919 in Samsun that

Atatürk initiated to resist foreign powersto gain independence.

Mustafa Kemal’s landing in Samsuncharted a different direction and shapedhis own fate as well as the Turkish peo-ple’s. Then, Samsun was under the controlof English troops. The Greek andArmenian locals reported all his activities.Therefore he moved inland to freely followhis plans. The first thing was to establish

his standing with the army. Because theexisting Ottoman Army had no activepower of military resistance.

The people were worn out, utterlycrashed. They had given up all hope; theidea of any resistance, or even protest wasgone, due to long and continuous defeatand years of decimating wars. From heSultan and the Central Government theywould get no help. The Sultan himself washelpless and resisted this national move-ment The Homeland was divided amongthe English, French, Italian and Greeks.Mustafa Kemal assembled meetings in dif-ferent parts of Anatolian cities mainly

Sivas, Amasya and Erzurum afterSamsun. He and his friends decided that acongress of delegates to represent allTurkey be called to Sivas as quickly as pos-sible. Delegates came from all over thecountry to participate . He had the armyleaders with him also. But as they listenedto Mustafa Kemal they realized the impor-tance of collaboration and self determina-tion. They decided to appoint a represen-tative for each town to form a committeeand establish a center of

resistance. They listened to MustafaKemal eagerly. Everyhere he went he elec-trified the people to hope action. The

Ship of Kemal Atatürk


news of these activities reached Istanbulguickly. The Sultan ordered MustafaKemal to return to Istanbul to

report. He refused categorily “I shallstay in Anatolia,” he telegraphed, “until thenation has won its independence,”

The Sultan dismissed him from hiscommand and notified all civil militaryauthorities to refuse to follow his orders.Mustafa Kemal resigned his commissionin the army. He called his supporters andthe army commanders

“we are at the partings of the ways,” hesaid’ “if we go forward we do so relying onourselves alone, the Central Governmentwill be against us. It may mean civil war.We shall have to face great risk and makegreat sacrifice. Once started noone mustresert, noone look back or regret.”

“You must decide and you must choosea leader. For success one thing is vital- youmust have one man at the head, one manto lead this movement, one man only.”

“If you choose me you will have to sharemy fate, I am now a mere civilian. I shallcertainly be declared a rebel. One condi-tion I make, and that is that my orders areimplicitly obeyed as if I were your militarycommander.” Participants accepted hisconditions unanimously. But still therewas a wave

of objection.“Our men were killed inthe Dardanelles,” they had said.

“Why should we be martyred in Ankaraagain because English are in Istanbul. Let

Istanbul look after itself. This fight ishopeless.”

He was a general without an army,money or power. He was determined tofight to free his people and his occupiedhomeland from the enemy forces.

The road summarized was the turningpoint for the Turkish nation to be born.He dedicated May 19 as a national holidaythat he named ”Youth and SportsHoliday.”

Atatürk loved and trusted Turkish

youth, and was pleased to leave Turkey’sfuture in their hands. He expressed hismessage to the youth in his address clearly.

Atatürk was also a great defender of theidea of peace at home and peace in theworld. We honor his memory as a fore-most peace maker and we stand for hisprinciples. We should always rememberthe difficulties faced in establishing theTurkish Republic, and should appreciatethe legacy he has left for us to fastidiouslytake care of. �

The AtatürkSociety of America

The ASA Executive Board haslaunched a campaign to donate tolocal libraries books on modernTurkey. The Board was motivated

by the oft observed fact that local librariesand school or university libraries are verypoor on up-to-date books on Turkey. ASAmembers are expected to respond enthusi-astically to this campaign.

Members are invited to order the fourbooks currently available to ASA for adonation of $90, including shipping andhandling, and donate them in turn to the

libraries in their neighborhood. They will,of course, benefit from tax deduction.

The books are Atatürk, by AndrewMango, The Atatürk Revolution, by SunaKili, Turkish Woman, by Ayse CebesoySarialp.

You may also wish to donate to yourcommunity library books on modernTurkey you may have in your ownlibrary and may not need any longer. Bytaking part in this campaign you wouldbe supporting the better understandingof Turkey by the public.

A Campaign to Donate Books to Libraries


ASA News

Remembering AtatürkNovember 10, 2006

On November 10, 2006, ASA President Timur Edib, VicePresident Filiz Odabas-Geldiay, and ASA Treasurer MiratYavalar, and other ASA members participated in the

remembrance ceremony for Atatürk at the Turkish Embassy,and lay a wreath at Atatürk’s statue. The ceremony includedspeeches by representatives of the Turkish Embassy and theTurkish Military Attaché, followed by open debate providingguests with the opportunity to voice their own feelings aboutAtatürk and his legacy. The ceremony ended with a showing ofAtatürk’s 10th year celebration speech of the Turkish Republic.

For his part, ASA Chairman Hudai Yavalar participated atthe remembrance day ceremonies at the Anitkabir in Ankaraon Nov. 10, 2006. Atatürk Mausoleum Commander ColonelErkan Atalay presented Mr. Yavalar with a thank you letter forASA contributions to the maintenance of the Anitkabir PeacePark.

Mr. Yavalar was also a guest on two talk shows about Atatürkin Turkey; Channel 8 and TRT International, where he empha-sized that Atatürk’s legacy is even more important today, wherehis contributions are increasingly recognized and appreciatedaround the world. There is growing recognition that withouthis contributions, today’s situation in the greater Middle Eastregion would be much more difficult than it is today.

ASA Board Members met with members of Arkadaslar Group

Arkadaslar is an 1,100 member organization of formerTurkey Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), their familymembers and other friends of Turkey (FOT). ASA

Board Member Bulent Atalay arranged a meeting with tworepresentatives of the group at his house in Fredericksburg,VA. ASA’s purpose is to reach the members of this group allaround the US, and coordinate projects related to Turkey tokeep Atatürk’s legacy alive. ASA would like to host Arkadaslarin Washington DC this Summer.

ASA continues to receive inquiries and request for informa-tion and reference books on Atatürk from students, educators,and others around the United States, as well as from aroundthe world. We respond promptly in order to spread Atatürk’slegacy at a time in which there is a leadership vacuum in theworld. ASA has noted the increased interest in Atatürk inter-nationally.

ASA as a resource

ANZAC visits

Chairman Hudai Yavalar visited the ambassadors ofNew Zealand and Australia in Ankara andWashington DC to discuss ASA’s proposal for an

Anzac School and Cultural Center in Gelibolu. Heexplained ASA’s idea to them and requested their input.This project is in the first stages of research, and ASA islooking into all kinds of venues to turn this idea intoreality.

Vice president Filiz Odabas-Geldiay, President Timur Edip, Treasury Mirat Yavalar

New Zealand PM Helen Clark, New Zealand Amb. Roy Ferguson


On March 20, 2007, ASAChairman Hudai Yavalar andTreasurer Mirat Yavalar

attended an Asian Society lunch-eon for visiting Prime MinisterClark in Washington DC. TheYavalars had an opportunity tospeak to her about ASA’s mission,and present her with AndrewMango’s book, Atatürk, ArnoldLudwig’s King of the Mountain,several issues of Atatürk’s VoiceMagazine, and an Atatürk rosette.She stated that Atatürk and Turkeyare very important in the history ofthe ANZAC countries, andthanked ASA for its contributionsto bringing the one time foes onthe battlefield even closer togethernow as allies.

ASA Board Membersattend luncheon forH.E. Helen Clark,Prime Minister ofNew Zealand

On March 17, 2007 ASA andATA DC hosted a dinner inhonor of Prof. Arnold M.

Ludwig, author of King of theMountain, at the Yavalar residencein Washington DC. Although theauthor was unable to attendbecause inclement weatherimpeded his flight, Board MemberBulent Atalay gave an overview ofthe book which studies over athousand leaders around the worldfor their acumen, intelligence, andcapabilities using empirical meth-ods, and finds that Kemal Atatürkemerges as the top leader of theworld. Please see Dr. BulentAtalay’s review of King of theMountain on page 22.

Dinner reception forProf. Arnold M.Ludwig

On April 25, 2007, Chairman HudaiYavalar joined the ANZAC day celebra-tions in Washington, DC which were

sponsored by the embassies of Australia andNew Zealand. ANZAC day commemoratesthe birth of 3 nations; Turkey, New Zealand,and Australia.

The day began with a dawn ceremony heldat the Korean Memorial in Arlington.Atatürk Society of America (ASA) attended,with its wreath laid alongside those fromAustralia, New Zealand, and other countries.

Ambassador Roy Ferguson from NewZealand spoke about the significance of thedate, and the leadership displayed by Atatürk.He noted Atatürk’s significant leadership skillsand the important contributions he made.

The crowd then moved to the AustralianEmbassy for breakfast. The various wreathswere also displayed there.

The commemoration then continued to thehistoric National Cathedral where a largeaudience listened to Australian AmbassadorDennis Richardson remind the public aboutAtatürk’s magnanimous gesture of welcomingall the soldiers who had fallen during the bat-tles. The Ambassador stated “When we thinkof the ANZACS we also think of the Turksand especially of their leader Mustafa Kemalwho embodied a remarkable spirit of reconcil-iation in his famous words “Your sons arenow living in our bosom and are in peace.Having lost their lives on this land they have

ANZAC day celebrations in Washington, DC become our sons as well.” Reconciliation is asimportant and relevant in the 21st Century asit was then.”

The New Zealand embassy was the locationof the final event which ended with a recep-tion and picture taking. This was the finaldestination for the wreath.

This commemoration once again con-firmed Atatürk’s contributions to peace andcivilizations, and how they continue to res-onate almost 70 years after his death, not onlyin Turkey, but also in the United States, NewZealand and Australia.

Visit withCongressman DanBurton

ASA Board members visited Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) to present him withbooks and reference material about Atatürkand requested his guidance in distributingthese books to public schools and librariesin Indiana. ASA members also offeredguest lecturers at schools and universitiesto spread the word about Atatürk’s legacyand his historical significance as a worldleader on page 19.


ASA News

WITNESSING ANKARA AND ISTANBULDEMONSTRATIONSBy Mirat Yavalar

Iam extremely proud to have representedThe Atatürk Society of America (ASA)in the largest Atatürk civil society

demonstrations of Turkish democracy inAnkara and Istanbul.

We left Istanbul early on April 14, 2007.The first indications of a large turnout werethe buses and vehicles decorated withTurkish flags which we witnessed as weentered the city of Ankara in early dawn.

We left our vehicle near TandoganSquare which was designated as the startingpoint for the demonstration. When wearrived by foot at the road which leads toTandogan Square, we were greeted by animpressive view. It was only 9:30, and thesquare as well as the roads leading to it

were full and overflowing. There were largeand small Turkish flags everywhere.Almost everyone was carrying a Turkishflag.

The respectful attitude participants dis-played towards each other created a veryenjoyable atmosphere from the beginning.When the crowd became denser, the partic-ipants moved towards Atatürk’s Mausoleumto make room for those who came frombehind. We joined the crowd in the samedirection with the same rhythm. The areabetween Tandogan and the mausoleum wasoverflowing with a sea of participants in redand white outfits in both directions.

On the sides of the road the youngergeneration concerned for the secular repub-lic had gathered, and were enthusiastically

shouting slogans in an emotional yet verymature way. They said they were theguardians of the Republic, Turkey is secular,and will remain secular.

The demonstrators going to and comingback from the mausoleum were joiningthese youth, and were applauding them.As I was walking on the path to the mau-soleum guarded by stone lions, I lookedbehind me to see the flood of red flagscoming towards me. It was no longer pos-sible to hold back my tears. The steps ofthe mausoleum were filled with a sea ofpeople and flags. There were those whoeven kissed the steps which led to his rest-ing place. It is impossible to forget theexcitement and applause of those who werethere that day. There was no room to moveat the mausoleum, because no one wantedto leave Atatürk that day.

Two weeks later the sentiment of theTurkish people swelled once again, thistime in Istanbul. The Çaglayan demonstra-tion was very much like the one in Ankara.Turkish flags were being waved outside ofcar windows; the ground underneath uswas shaking as people were shouting theirslogans with great emotion and determina-tion.

While there were people of all ages atboth demonstrations, the majority was theyounger generation and women from allwalks of life, but their sentiments were thesame. Strangers became friends and sup-ported each other knowing they were work-ing together towards the same vision. Wefelt like members of a large family, we wereall children of Atatürk. We all had tears inour eyes because of high emotion, and wereexcited that we had united with ourAtatürk.

This was the first and the largest partici-pation of Turkish people gathering togetherwhole heartedly,69 years after Atatürk'sdeath to show their faith in the secularRepublic of Turkey.

What we experienced was a unique form


of unity in Turkey.Those who understoodAtatürk were reaching out to those whowere having difficulty in doing so. “TheRepublic belongs to the Turkish people; letno one think that they can take us back tothe darkness of the middle ages.” This mes-sage was given both domestically and inter-nationally. The Turkish public was onceagain promising to protect and nurture thesecular Turkish Republic.

These days I am filled with the joy ofeverything we have gained throughAtatürk; elevating us to the level of civilizednations, giving Turkish women the valuethey deserve, because I am a citizen of acountry with a leader like him, and becauseI feel his presence. I once again promisedthat I will always walk in the path that hehas shown us, and will follow his principles.HAPPY ARE THOSE THAT FEEL THE SAME AS I DO.


ASA News

The “Support for an Ever-Secular Turkey”Demonstration in Washington DC

By Ilknur Boray

On May 20th, LaFayette Park witnesseda demonstration like no other. Thecollective and independent efforts of

the DC Turkish community to organize anevent supporting all other similar demon-strations happening in major cities inTurkey and Europe proved successful. Afterwitnessing unprecedented large scaledemonstrations of millions of people inAnkara, Istanbul, and Izmir, Turkish-Americans in the Washington DC areawere inspired to express themselves in sup-port of a secular, democratic Turkey in thefootsteps of its founder, Kemal Atatürk.

On May 20, 2007, nearly 700 members of

Turkish, Turkish-American and Friends ofTurkey communities joined hand in handfor a pro-secular Turkey rally. Dressed inred and white and carrying Turkish flagsand posters, they gathered in Lafayette Parkin front of the White House. Some of themessages read: “Turkey is, and has alwaysbeen secular” “No to Sharia.”, and “Don’t letTurkey turn into another Iran!”

The “Support for an Ever-SecularTurkey” demonstration started at 1:00pmwith National anthems of USA and Turkey,followed by popular marches and speechesfrom the community representatives. Localmusician Ilhan Ozulu felt the pulse of thecrowd and played inspirational music to

COVER STORY


reflect the mood and make the crowd’senthusiasm felt.

Ata Istar was the Master of Ceremonies.Oray Esiner read Atatürk’s Address to Youth,while Ata Yavalar read the Youth’s Addressto Atatürk in response. Graduate studentDeniz Okan explained the significance ofMay 19, and why Atatürk bestowed the hol-iday on the country’s youth. ATA-DCPresident Pelin Aylangan moved the crowdto tears with her presentation whichanswered the question of why we had gath-ered in front of the White House on aSunday in May. Her full remarks are print-ed in this issue of Voice of Atatürk, page 14.

Around 2: 30pm the crowd lined upbehind a huge portrait of Atatürk, carriedby two participants and started walking inharmony towards DuPont Circle.Participants, including babies in strollersand people of all ages lined up ConnecticutAvenue, waving flags and carrying signs,and walked about 8 blocks to the tune ofinspirational marches. Around 3: pm, thecircle was full with red and white Turkishflags. The demonstrators continued tocheer pro-secular Turkey slogans on thesteps of the circle’s fountain and after recit-ing the Turkish national anthem one moretime, the event was finalized at 4:00pm.

This was the largest, most harmonious,and most successful demonstration held byTurkish Americans in Washington DC todate. Participants felt they had accom-plished their goal.Many thanks to all the volunteers whoworked very hard to ensure this successfulevent. � Ata Yavalar Oray Esiner

Deniz Okan Nazli Yuzak


ASA News

WHY ARE WE HERE?May 20, 2007 SpeechPelin Aylangan

If I were to ask you at this moment, why areyou here? I might get 100 differentanswers… I would like to offer my thoughts on whywe are all here today…..

We are here….because in 1915, 86,000 boys and men gavetheir lives at Çannakale to free Turkey fromthe domination and fragmentation by for-eign powers. We are the grandchildren and

great-grandchildren of those brave souls.They died so that Turkey could be free.

In honor of those boys who neverbecame men, for the husbands who did notgo home to their wives, for the fathers whonever saw their children again, to all wholost their lives at Çannakale we pledge toyou that Turkey is an independent secularRepublic and will remain that way!

Why are we here?We are here because the brave honorablewomen of Anadolu, who had SO LITTLEgave SO MUCH during the Turkish war for

independence.As the poet Nazim Hikmet wrote about

them in “Memleketimden İnsanManzaraları”

Bizim kadınlarımızŞimdi ayın altında

Kağnıların ve hartuçların peşindeHarman yerine kehribar başaklı sap çeker gibi

Aynı yürek ferahlığıAynı yorgun alışkanlık içindeydiler

Ve on beşlik şarapnelin çeliğindeİnce boyunlu çocuklar uyuyordu

Ve ayın altında kağnılarYürüyordu Akşehir üstünden Afyon’a doğru

In lasting memory of those grandmothers,mothers, daughters and wives of Anadoluwhose names we did not know, we pledgeto you that Turkey is independent, secular,and democratic, and she will remain thatway!

Why are the children here?They are here with us because onNovember 17, 1922, Mustafa Kemal Atatürksaid,

Küçük hanımlar, küçük beyler !Sizler hepiniz geleceğin bir gülü, yıldızı,

bir bahtının aydınlığısınız.Memleketi asıl aydınlığa gark edecek sizsiniz.

Kendinizin ne kadar önemli,kıymetli olduğunuzu düşünerek

ona göre çalışınız.Sizlerden çok şeyler bekliyoruz ;

kızlar, çocuklar !

To the Turkish children here today andespecially those in Turkey we give you oursolemn promise that you will continue to bethe children of a secular and democraticTurkey!

Why are the teenagers here?You are here because 88 years ago on May19, 1919 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk took thefirst step to set Turkey on a path of inde-pendence. He dedicated that momentousday each year as YOUR DAY!ATA-DC President Pelin Aylangan


Take inspiration from Atatürk’s actions notmerely his posters or words – do all you canto protect Turkey as a democracy and a sec-ular republic.

Why are we here?We are here because we know the unfortu-nate consequences of deviating fromAtatürk’s reforms and principles. We arehere because we can not deny that secular-ism is an indispensable component ofModernization. That it means not only aseparation of religion from the state butseparation of religion from educational, cul-tural and legal affairs.

We are here because we want schools inTurkey to be managed and run by enlight-ened men and women and not those whowish to take Turkey back to the dark ages.

We are here because we believe, asAtatürk believed, that a nation’s trueenlightenment is through culture and thearts. We support a democratic and secularTurkey where artists, musicians, and acade-micians can prosper in their endeavors andcontinue our rich cultural and artistic her-itage.

We are here to show our support for asecular nation where judges are not assault-ed and murdered as they were nearly 1 yearago today.

We are here because we were Turksbefore we became Muslims.

Why are we here?We are here because as İsmet İnönüreminded the Turkish nation at Atatürk’sfuneral on November 21, 1938:“Bugün bütün vatandaşlaın vicdanlarınayerleşmis olan laik, milliyetçi, halkcı, inki-lapcı, devletçi Cumhuriyet, bize bütünevsafiyle Atatürk’ün en kıymetli emanetidir”

Nearly 70 years after those words werespoken, we are here to show that we valueand will defend this precious trust we holdfrom Atatürk.

Why are we here with our Turkishflags, signs, and red & whiteclothes?We are here because they are the symbols ofour unwavering commitment to a seculardemocracy and an indivisible TurkishRepublic.

We are here because we have been raisedwith these words ingrained in our collectiveconscience and they are just as relevant atthis critical point in Turkey’s history as theywere back in 1921:

Arkadaş, yurduma alçakları uğratma sakın;Siper et gövdeni, dursun bu hayâsızca akın.

Doğacaktır sana va’dettiği günler Hakk’ın,Kim bilir, belki yarın, belki yarından da yakın.

Bastığın yerleri ‘toprak’ diyerek geçme, tanı!Düşün altındaki binlerce kefensiz yatanı.Sen şehid oğlusun, incitme, yazıktır, atanı.Verme, dünyâları alsan da, bu cennet vatanı.

Dalgalan sen de şafaklar gibi ey şanlı hilâl!Olsun artık dökülen kanlarımın hepsi helâl.Ebediyyen sana yok, ırkıma yok izmihlâl;Hakkıdır, hür yaşamış, bayrağımın hürriyet,Hakkıdır, Hakk’a tapan milletimin istiklâl!

Finally, we are here…Because we want the millions of our fellowTurkish citizens who marched in Ankara,Istanbul, Manisa, Çannakale, Marmaris,İzmir and just today in Samsun to knowthat although we may not be able to vote onJuly 22nd we will vote with them in spirit,and we will do all we can to get those weknow in Turkey to vote!

Pledge to yourself and to the person oneither side of you that you will not let thecommitment and solidarity that we feelhere right now end today...

When you go home tonight and on everyday for the next 63 days remind those whothink their vote will not matter

and especially remind those who do notwish for a secular democratic Turkey, whyYOU came here today.

Remember that when all seemed to belost, when the odds were stacked againsthim, Atatürk did not sit idly at home – hetook action! Ultimately it was his actionsthat made a difference

So too will it be your actions and theactions on July 22nd of all who wish forTurkey to remain a secular nation that willmake a lasting difference

Remind everyone of what the genera-tions before us have lived, sacrificed, foughtfor, and shared,

Remind them of what we have inheritedfrom the previous generations, and all thatis at stake for the future generations,

Let them hear loud and clear why wewere all here today! �


Birth of Three Nations–Gallipoli

The battle laid the foundation for the birth of three new countries, Australia, NewZealand, and the Republic of Turkey. The ANZAC legend had begun, and became animportant part of the identity of both New Zealand and Australia.

In the early 20th century when empireswere crumbling and nation states wereemerging, future presidents gained fame

through their success on the battlefield.An excellent example is Kemal Atatürk

who transformed from a little known offi-cer in the Battle of Gallipoli into a war herowith the support and admiration of anentire nation and international acclaim.

In 1914, at the start of the First WorldWar, allied forces, at the request of theRussian government, wanted to open theDardanelles to provide the Russians with asouthern exit into the Mediterranean. Itwas an effort to thwart the ambitious intentof the Bolsheviks.

Control of the Dardanelles would allowthe allies to get supplies to Russia's BlackSea ports; it was also hoped that the attackwould lead to an assault on the Ottomancapital, Constantinople, and so force theOttomans out of the war and attract newallies in the Balkans.

The original plan was for a naval attack,but the British and French were unsuccess-ful. For two hundred years the British Fleetwas undefeated, and they were sure that theDardanelles could easily be captured Theywere so confident that Britain and Francesigned an agreement with the Czar that assoon as Constantinople fell, Russia wouldhave control of the Bosphorous.

The Turks had strengthenedtheir defenses by sowing344 mines in the straits.When they ran low,they collected thosethe Russians werefloating down theBosphorous todestroy Germanbattleships Goebenand the Breslaugiven to Turkey in the

Black Sea. Following a failed naval assault which

began on February 19, 1915 and after 16Anglo-French battleships and smaller shipssuffered heavy losses which culminated onMarch 18, a silence hung over the Gallipolipeninsula. The German and Turkish forcesdid not know that they had exasperated theenemy, and while they were prepared tomeet them on the morning of March 19,there was no action. This was an enormouspsychological victory for the Turks whohad suffered defeat for several years.

CHANGE OF PLANS ANDTHE BEGINNING OF THE ANZACLEGENDAfter considerable discussion, the alliesdecided to abandon the naval campaignand launch a land assault on the Gallipolipeninsula, at the entrance to theDardanelles straits.

To do so, they enlisted the ANZACCorps, the Royal Naval Division, theBritish 29th Division, and one FrenchColonial division. But the Australians andNew Zealanders did not have tradition toguide them, for their countries did not havewar in their past. They were eager to provethemselves as fighters and start a tradition.

On April 25th, when the allied forcesbegan landing on the sides of the hill,Mustafa Kemal commanded the 57th regi-ment which were waiting for them at thenorthernmost invasion site, Ari Burnu.What the ANZAC forces didn’t know wasthat the navy had taken them to the wrongbeach. When ANZAC forces were climb-ing up the hill, Mustafa Kemal, who hadcorrectly predicted that the highest hillswould give him the greatest advantage, waswaiting for them. When he went to takecommand, he stopped the Ottoman soldierswho were running away from the enemy.The soldiers, who had run out of ammuni-tion, fell to the ground on Atatürk’s orders,and prepared their bayonets. Seeing this,the ANZAC forces also lay down, whichgave the axis valuable time, and providedthe turning point in the battle.

The ANZAC troops were also deter-mined, despite the confusion with theirerroneous landing. Hand to hand fightingensued where the bayonet was the weaponmost used.

Until then, the Ottoman soldier withpro-western views was purposefully givensecond rate assignments. In a twist of fate,he provided for his own future by provingto the allies that Turkish bravery and tenac-ity on the battlefield could overcome the

technological advantage of the allies. What followed were bloody

battles on April 25th, 26th,and 27th, after which

there was an all outassault. By the endof the year theallies were losingmen heavily forno conceivable

advantage, and thedecision was taken

to evacuate. The evac-


"I am not commanding you to attack, I am commanding you to die"

Mustafa Kemal

"I am not commanding you to attack, I am commanding you to die"

Mustafa Kemal


uation, which took place between 18-19December 1915, was one of the most suc-cessfully planned aspects of the whole cam-paign and took the Turks completely bysurprise.

The failure of the campaign sparked a lotof criticism, much of it directed atChurchill as First Lord of the Admiralty. Hewas removed from this office in May, andgiven the token post of Chancellor of theDuchy of Lancaster (a ministerial positionwithout responsibility for a Governmentdepartment). In November he resignedfrom the Government and became an offi-cer commanding a battalion on theWestern Front.

Criticism of allied planning in theDardanelles has been particularly acute in

Australia and New Zealand, whose forceswere included in the allied army.(LloydPapers GLLD 3/7 Dead Turkish soldier,Dardanelles)

The English Commander in the war,General Hamilton, wrote to the EnglishMinistry of War, “You are asking why weretreated. I want to inform you with com-plete truth and openness. We are upagainst the noble Turkish Army that fightsvery bravely and that is lead in the bestmanner by a genius commander, ColonelMustafa Kemal. Let us never forget this.”

At the end, the Turkish nation paid aheavy price for this battle; 251,309 lives. Inreturn, they thwarted the ambitions of theinvaders and protected their homeland.

The Allies did not fare as well; during the

259 days from the first landings in April1915 to the final withdrawal in January1916, they sent half a million men, butmore than half never returned.

Yet the battle laid the foundation for thebirth of three new countries, Australia, NewZealand, and the Republic of Turkey. TheANZAC legend had begun, and became animportant part of the identity of both NewZealand and Australia.

Although Atatürk gained fame on thebattlefield, he did not favor wars. After thefoundation of the Republic of Turkey,“Peace at home, Peace in the world” becameits mantra.

The countries are now allies, and the fall-en rest in marked graves in Canakkale pro-tected by a large stone with Atatürk’s words.

..........................1915January 15War Council authorizesnaval attack onDardanelles.February 1Mustafa Kemal com-menced his duty inTekirdag.February 19Allied Armada’s secondattack to the Dardanelles.February 25Mustafa Kemal becamethe commander of 19thDivision.March 2General Liman vonSanders became the com-mander in chief of theOttoman Army inCanakkale.March 4Britain, France and Russiasigned “Istanbul Treaty”which anticipated the divi-sion of the straits. 3rdAustralian Brigade arrivedat Mondros.

March 11Sir Ian Hamilton becamethe commander of theMediterraneanExpeditionary Forces.March 13MediterraneanExpeditionary Force sailsfrom Egypt.March 17Admiral de Robeckbecame the commander ofthe Allied Fleet.March 18Anglo-French attack at theDardanelles involving 16battleships and a host ofsmaller craft, suffers heavylosses.March 22Military and naval com-manders agree on jointoffensive.March 24General Hamilton departedfor Egypt to organize thetroops.April 25Landing at Anzac Covegains small, exposedbeachhead. British and

French forces land at fivebeaches at Cape Helles ontip of Gallipoli peninsula.May 14Churchill and AdmiralFisher resigned.May 19Liman von Sandersattacked the Anzacs. Theattack ended with theTurks withdrawal.June 1Mustafa Kemal becamecolonel.August 6-7Landing on Suvla Bay andTurkish victory of 1st Battleof Anafarta.August 10Turks under MustafaKemal recapture summit ofChunuk Bair and forceattackers back downslopes toward Anzac Cove.August 17The Turks won the Battleof Kirectepe.August 21Second Battle of Anafarta(Suvla).

October 11The allies discussed theevacuation for the firsttime. November 7British War Council decid-ed to evacuate Gallipoli.November 10Visit of Kitchener, whichleads to decision to with-draw.November 27-29Fierce winds bring icy rain,sleet, snow; many deathsfrom cold and 15,000evacuated suffering fromexposure, frostbite, andtrench foot.December 18-20Evacuation of forces fromSuvla Bay and Anzac Cove...........................1916January 8-9The Allies evacuated theHelles.February 1Mustafa Kemal wasawarded a medal for hisservice.

THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN / JANUARY 1915 – JANUARY 1916


No wonder WinstonChurchill saw him as “a greathero”. To John F. Kennedy hewas “one of the figures of ourcentury”; to Ronald Reagan

“a towering figure”.

THE WORLD OF ATATÜRK

By Prof. Talat HALMANChair, Department of Turkish Literature, BilkentUniversityBoard of Trustees of Atatürk Society of America

Destiny has endowed very few individ-uals with any of Atatürk’s achieve-ments. Protagonist of his nation’s

sovereignty. Undefeated commander.Pioneer of anticolonialism. Staunchest foeof imperialism at home and abroad.Creator of a republic. Transformer of thepolitical, legal and socio-economic systems.Spellbinding orator. Cultural revolutionary.Secularist visionary. Humanist and interna-tional peacemaker. Model for the leaders ofemancipation and of emerging nations. Thehero of a 20th. Century renaissance.

Still fewer are those, in the East or in theWest, in this century or earlier centuries,who gained distinction in many of thesame accomplishments. It is virtuallyimpossible to think of any historical figurewho achieved it all in so short period withas much enduring impact.

No wonder Winston Churchill saw himas “a great hero”. To John F. Kennedy he was“one of the figures of our century”; toRonald Reagan “a towering figure”. PrimeMinister David Ben-Gurion, a founder ofIsrael, said: “I know of no greater states-man.” For India’s Prime Minister JawaharlalNehru, he was “one of the creators of themodern age. “Dwight D. Eisenhowerpraised him as “a source of inspiration toindependence-seekers around the world. “French President Charles de Gaulle said,‘We have a lot to learn from him… He wasthe greatest achiever among all the worldleader, because he modernized his nation.”In 1934, Greek Prime Minister EleutheriosVenizelos nominated him for the NobelPeace Prize and observed in his nomination

statement: “In the life of a nation, it is veryseldom that changes to such a radicaldegree were carried out in such a shortperiod of time… These extraordinary activ-ities have earned him fame as ‘a great man’in the full sense of the term.”

It was in 1923 that “the hero of theTurks” created a republic out of an anti-quated empire. From 1923 to his death on

November 10, 1938, in just 15 years, heintroduced sweeping reforms for modern-ization:� Arabic writing was replaced by a Latin-

type script enabling children and adultsto become literate with less effort

� Government and education were sepa-rated from religion

� The legal system was overhauled on thebasis of European and secularist models

� Hats replaced the traditional headgearand women were discouraged fromwearing the veil

� Strides were taken towards a democraticparliamentary system

� A vast transformation took place espe-cially in urban life

� Cultural life embraced many aspects ofwestern civilization, technology and arts,including opera, ballet, sculpture

� Schools and universities were modern-ized

� Economic, industrial and agriculturalreforms were launched.The compelling facts and eloquent words

that earned Atatürk praise from friend andfoe retain their impact into the future:

“The prosperity of all humanity shouldtake the place of hunger and misery…Thecitizens of the world should be trained insuch a way that they shall be free of enmity,greed and hatred.”

“Some leaders who fail to consider whata terrible tragedy war is are pursuingaggressive objectives… They are deceivingand leading astray their own nations… Thedestiny of the world should be in the handsof leaders who have a conscience and char-acter.”

What are the powers that create and per-petuate a visionary and hero of such mag-nitude? Ancient philosophy emphasized the

Atatürk was dedicated to the ideal of universal harmony. His slogan was “Peace at home,peace in the world.” Having lived through many wars and battles, he was able to say:“Unless a nation’s life faces peril, war is a crime.” Atatürk was a humanist andinternational peacemaker.

“ “


hero’s divine aspects while acknowledgingthe extraordinary human qualities.Classical mythology gave us gods as menand legends transformed men into deities.

For modern philosophy, the hero is acreation of a spectrum of forces. Carlyleargued that history is the work of greatmen. Some thinkers have delineated thehero as the embodiment and expression ofthe Zeitgeist, the sprit of the times. Theeuhemeristic view stresses the mythicforces and events as the basis of history.The hero, according to the sociologicalapproach, is the product of societal impera-tives shaped by the force of his personality.And many scholars make a synthesis ofthese divergent interpretations.

Seen from the broadest perspective, thehero is a charismatic figure of action whoemerges inexorably in response to cata-clysmic events, dominates the moment bythe prowess of his persona, channels thecourse of developments through his visionand dexterity, and achieves a lasting impact.In this sense, the hero is, at once, mythicand god-like, the chosen instrument of his-tory and the creative power that re-shape it,the symbol of the age and its giant strideinto the future.

Atatürk was dedicated to the ideal ofuniversal harmony. His slogan was “Peaceat home, peace in the world.” Having livedthrough many wars and battles, he was ableto say: “Unless a nation’s life faces peril, waris a crime.” Atatürk was a humanist andinternational peacemaker. Few statesmenhave served the cause of secular democracymore successfully than he did. No wonderhis ideology lives on in the TurkishRepublic. In fact, there is an upsurge of theKemalist (or Ataturkist) ideology not onlyas a bulwark against the dark forces of anti-secularism but also as a constructive politi-cal system for the country’s enlightenmentand democracy.

At the core of Atatürk’s democratic idealstood the concept of the equality of menand women. “How could one segment ofsociety,” he emphasized, “go forward whilethe other segment is ignored? When half ofa body remains chained to the ground, howcould the other half rise to the sky?” Andhe stressed the importance of an authenticnational identity: “When I speak of a

national program of education, I mean aculture freed from antiquated superstitions,foreign ideas alien to our innate qualitiesand outside influence, from the East or theWest- a culture worthy of our own nationaland historical talents.” He strove to put gov-ernment in the service of the fullest sense.For him, the republic which truly repre-sented the will of the nation was duty-

prevail: “Secularism brings to the citizensfreedom of conscience and worship.Religion and faith are a matter of con-science. Everyone is free to act according tothe dictates of his own conscience. We arerespectful of religion. All we are doing is toseparate religious affairs from governmen-tal affairs.”

The ideas and ideals of Mustafa KemalAtatürk are discussed by Professor ÖzerOzankaya, a prominent Turkish sociologist,with numerous eminent and eloquentworld intellectuals on a special televisionseries produced by his energetic wife FilizOzankaya. The texts of these captivatinginterviews appear in this volume and col-lectively give the reader fascinating per-spectives on “The World of Atatürk”.

Historians, poets, social scientists, jour-nalists, and statesmen, Turkish and non-Turkish, continue to sign the praises of thisextraordinary leader. Such praise is welldeserved, mostly an objective appreciation.Two millennia ago, the Latin poet Horatiuswrote: “The hero who is worthy of herpraise / the Muse will not let die.” In hisvibrant Republic and on the internationalscene, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk remains aliveas an inspiring, exciting, enlightening heropar excellence. �

bound to marshall all resources for the ben-efit of all - and to this end, it was obliged tomaintain the highest level of moral recti-tude: “Republic,” Atatürk proclaimed, “is aform of government that is predicated uponvirtue. Republic is virtue.” In that Republic,as he articulated it, the secular ideal should

“ “

It was in 1923 that“the hero of the Turks”

created a republic out ofan antiquated empire. From

1923 to his death onNovember 10, 1938, in just

15 years, he introducedsweeping reforms for

modernization.


ATATÜRK, A LEADER OFF THE SCALE!“Dr. Ludwig noted that Atatürk had the incredible intelligence and prescience to know how to bring about a separation of religion and state. ”

By Bülent Atalay, Ph.D.

On March 17, 2006, mem-bers of ASA and invitedguests gathered for a

reception at Hudai and MiratYavalar’s home in Washington,DC. We planned to honorArnold Ludwig, author of Kingof the Mountain: the Nature ofPolitical Leadership. Unhappily,weather conditions in hishometown of Providence, RI,prevented Dr. Ludwig fromjoining us. At the reception itemerged that two of us, inde-pendently and quite serendipi-tously had discovered his book.Ata Istar, a Turkish-Americanengineer employed by theNuclear RegulatoryCommission, had heard ac-span radio interview ofDr. Ludwig speaking about hisbook; and I, a professor ofphysics and author, had heardhim on a c-span televisioninterview at an hour well pastmidnight. Both of us confessedto having become spellboundby the results of the analysisthat Dr. Ludwig presented inhis book. What we were bothimpressed by was the stratos-pheric position that KemalAtatürk had achieved in theauthor’s ranking. The transcriptof Dr. Ludwig’s interview withBrian Lamb, Chairman of c-span, is available at the website,www.booknotes.org/Transcript/index_print.asp?ProgramID=1693.

The author explains early inthe book that it is not a particu-

larly high intelligence or a spe-cialized academic training thatdrives people to aspire to, andto attain political leadership.Rather, he identifies a psycho-logical/physiological impera-tive, a biological condition, asthe underlying trait of certainindividuals — all men —thatdrives them to seek to rule, andto cling to power. Indeed, in ananalogy with primates, he iden-tifies this trait as the alpha-male personality. The cover ofhis book appears in Figure —.The designer clearly wasinspired by this analogy.(Arnold Ludwig, King of theMountain, The University Pressat Kentucky (2002).)

On March 28th I had achance to interview Dr. Ludwigby telephone. I found himextraordinarily gracious, and as

intelligent and incisive as onewould hope of a lifelong aca-demic. Arnold Ludwig grew upin Philadelphia, attendedSwarthmore College, and sub-sequently the University ofPennsylvania Medical School.From 1970-2000 he served onthe faculty of the University ofKentucky Medical School(including as the Chairman ofthe Department of Psychiatry).After retiring from that posi-tion, he moved to Rhode Islandto be close to his son’s family.He is currently an adjunct pro-fessor in the Department ofPsychiatry and HumanBehavior at Brown Universityin Rhode Island.

Among his previous books isThe Price of Greatness, wherehe examines the legacies ofsome of the 20th century

exceptionally high achievers —from 18 specialties (8 of themartistic professions). In writingabout truly gifted individuals,he realized that political lead-ers, who actually have thegreatest impact on society, don’tleave tangible products — e.g. awork of art, a world record inathletics, etc. Accordingly, hedecided to examine leaders andlook for other quantifiableproducts, other criteria. Hesought to develop criteria thatwould represent objective rat-ings of achievement, whileavoiding cultural and ethnicbiases (a leader may be regard-ed as benevolent by some, anddistinctly malevolent by oth-ers). He investigated the extentof transformation theywrought, the lasting quality oftheir legacies, etc. In developinga scale, he looked for commondenominators in the lives of 26historical individuals who havebecome synonymous with greatleadership — among themAlexander the Great, JuliusCaesar, George Washington,Napoleon Abraham Lincoln.Dr. Ludwig’s endeavors repre-sented18 years of data collec-tion and analysis.

A perfect score would havebeen a Political Greatness Score(PGS) of 37, a score that no onein the 20th century achieved.Thus it is not specifically openended, but it is clear thatbetween 20 and 30 there is anexponential decrease in PGS, orin the parlance of mathematics,one would describe the pattern

Dr. Arnold Ludwig, author of King of the Mountain, standing next to a pair of portraitscreated by his son, accomplished artist Daniel Ludwig, as Father’s Day presents. Thesmaller painting on top is inspired by a Gauguin portrait; the larger painting, by vanGogh’s self portrait shortly after he cut his own ear off. (Photo: Bülent Atalay).


as asymptotically approaching30 points. Dr. Ludwig makes aninventory of 1941 nationalleaders from 199 nations whoserved their respective coun-tries during the period span-ning January 1, 1900 toDecember 31, 2000, a period of101 years, which he calls a“Baker’s Century.”

Of the nearly 2000 leaders,Dr. Ludwig focused on 377,about whom a greater wealth ofdata exists. Then he assigned aPGS for their effectiveness.Twelve percent of the 377 lead-ers received scores of 20 andhigher. Franklin D. Rooseveltand Mao Zedong were tied forsecond place with 30 pointseach, and Atatürk attained thehighest score with 31 points.

A number of well knownleaders who scored in the upperthird, but received less than 20points, include KonradAdenauer, Leonid Brezhnev,Indira Ghandi, NikitaKrushchev (all 19 points);Dwight D. Eisenhower andLyndon Johnson (both 18);Pierre Trudeau 16; George H.Bush, Bill Clinton, John F.Kennedy15; and Jimmy Carter14. Leaders who scored 13 orlower were relegated to themiddle and lower third.

Dr. Ludwig noted thatAtatürk had the incredibleintelligence and prescience toknow how to bring about a sep-aration of religion and state.Aside from the extraordinarychanges he introduced — fromthe Latin Alphabet to the adop-tion of Family Names, from theLiberation of Women to theWesternization of clothing,from the economic and bank-ing reforms to introduction ofmodern farming technology —he set up a new form of gov-ernment, one that could survivecultural resistance to change, a

democracy that was specificallysupported by the military.

Many of us raised in theTurkish tradition know andadmire Atatürk deeply (insome cases harboring levels ofidolatrous admiration). We allhave Atatürk stories, we allknow that he had a problemwith raki, that he drank, but wesee it as a human failing thatcan be overlooked, especially in

the light of his remarkablebenevolent legacy. Few knowabout his sense of humor. Dr.Ludwig relates an anecdote,both self-deprecating and witty.“A French journalist wrote thatTurkey was governed by onedrunkard, one deaf man (refer-ring to Ismet [Inönü]…), andthree hundred deaf mutes (thedeputies). Kemal [Atatürk]responded, ‘This man is mis-

taken. Turkey is governed byone drunkard.’”

In the C-span interview,when Brian Lamb asked Dr.Ludwig whether he had knownin advance that Atatürk wouldscore at the top, surpassing bet-ter known world leaders likeFDR and Churchill, Dr. Ludwigadmitted that he was surprised.That sentiment is also echoedin Dr. Ludwig’s note to me, “Itoo have become an admirer ofAtatürk.” �________________________

The author, Bülent Atalay, isa professor of physics and anartist. The article about hisfamily’s connection to Atatürkis excerpted from a book thathe is writing as a tribute to hislate father, Orgeneral KemalAtalay. He is the author of thehighly acclaimed book Mathand the Mona Lisa, publishedby Smithsonian Books (2004),currently in its eighth printing,and translated into numerousforeign languages. The Turkishedition, Matematik ve MonaLisa, was published by AlbatrosBooks in Istanbul in January2006, and has already had threeprintings. Bulent Atalay’swebsite appears at www.bulentatalay.com

RANK LEADER COUNTRY BEGAN TYPE PG RULE SCORE

1 Atatürk TURKEY 1923 2 312 Mao Zedong China 1949 2 303 Roosevelt, Franklin D USA 1933 5 304 Stalin, Joseph USSR 1929 2 295 Lenin, Vladimir USSR 1917 2 286 de Gaulle, Charles FRANCE 1944 5 277 Deng, Xiaoping CHINA 1977 3 278 Ho Chi Minh VIETNAM NORTH 1945 2 279 Mussolini, Benito ITALY 1922 2 2610 Hitler, Adolph GERMANY 1933 2 2511 Nehru, Jahawarlal INDIA 1947 4 2512 Suharto INDONESIA 1967 3 2513 Bourguiba, Habib TUNISIA 1957 2 2414 Gorbachev, Mikhail S. RUSSIA/USSR 1985 2 2415 Wilson, Woodrow USA 1913 5 2416 Castro, Fidel CUBA 1959 2 2317 Khomeini IRAN 1979 2 2318 Kohl, Helmut GERMANY 1982 5 2319 Roosevelt, Theodore USA 1901 5 2320 Truman, Harry USA 1945 5 2321 Churchill, Winston UNITED KINGDOM 1938 5 2222 Kenyatta, Jomo KENYA 1963 4 2223 Lloyd George, David UNITED KINGDOM 1916 5 2224 Nasser, Gamal EGYPT 1952 2 2225 Reagan, Ronald USA 1981 5 2226 Ben-Gurion, David ISRAEL 1948 4 2127 Chiang Kai-shek CHINA 1928 2 2128 Franco, Francisco SPAIN 1936 2 2129 Franz Joseph AUSTRIA 1848 0 2130 Liaquat Ali Khan PAKISTAN 1948 4 2131 Nyere, Julius TANZANIA 1962 2 2132 Sadat, Anwar EGPT 1970 3 2133 Sukarno INDONESIA 1949 2 2134 Sun Yat-sen CHINA 1921 3 2135 Touré, Sekou GUINEA 1958 2 2136 Vargas, Getúlio BRAZIL 1930 2 2137 Yeltsin, Boris RUSSIA/USSR 1991 5 2138 Bhutto, Zulfikar PAKISTAN 1971 3 2039 Clemenceau, Georges FRANCE 1906 5 2040 Kim Il Sung NORTH KOREA 1948 2 2041 Mandela, Nelson SOUTH AFRICA 1994 4 2042 Masaryk, Thomas CZECHOSLAVAKIA 1918 4 2043 McKinley, William USA 1897 5 2044 Menelik II ETHIOPIA 1889 0 2045 Salisbury, Robert Albert UNITED KINGDOM 1885 5 2046 Senghor, Leopold Sedar SENEGAL 1960 4 20

A RANKING OF WORLD LEADERS ACCORDING TOPOLITICAL GREATNESS SCORES (PGS)

Bülent Atalay

You, great Atatürk,

We are the eternal guardians of Turkish Independence and the Republic of Turkey, which are the mostsacred foundation of our existence. This is the first and last expression of our indestructible belief.In future, no force will turn us away from our way. We gain all our strength from you, our national history,and the steadfast belief in us. On the solid foundations you build, every step we take forward is strong.

Our most precious treasures are Turkish independence and the Republic of Turkey. These values will liveforever in the hands of Turkish Youth as the most valuable foundation of our existence, and will behanded down to coming generations.

All internal and external aggressions against this sacred treasure will be destroyed. Adversaries mayattack us with the most modern weapons and armies, but they will not destroy our national consciousand indestructible strength. This is because aggressors will face the faithful sons and daughters of theRepublic and our five thousand years of Turkish history.

You, great Atatürk of the Turkish Youth…

Whatever the circumstances, we will always be determined to defend Turkish independence and theRepublic. In spite of all hindrances and difficulties, we will rely on our courage and strength, whichexists in the noble blood flowing through our veins.

Turkish Youth

Response of Turkish Youth toAtatürk

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