Reforms of Mustafa Kemal

Q Mustafa Kamal Pasha separated Turkey from the ancient Arabic sphere of culture and tradition and transformed her into a modern and westernized nation. Elaborate.

Q  Describe achievement and reforms of Mustafa Kamal Ataturk.

Ans:  At the beginning of 20th century, the Ottoman empire stretched from Asia Minor to North Africa. In the south-east Europe it bordered with Austria and Russia. The end of Ottoman empire came after 1st world war.
         After the world war-1, the terms dictated to Turkey by the allies at the treaty of Severs in 1920 came as a shock to the  nationalists. The Treaty deprived Turkey of its entire empire. Constantipole (Istanbul) was temporarily given to international control. An Armenian republic was to be created in the east. Turkey was given the status of semi-colonial state. The Greeks occupied Symrna(now Izmir).
       The nationalists under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal refused to accept the Treaty of Severs. Kemal led the revolt against the Govt. of Sultan. He established a rival govt. at Angora(Asia Minor). The Turks under his leadership inflicted a shattering defeat on the Greeks and negotiated more favourable terms with allies at lausanne in 1923. Turkey under the leadership of Kemal Pasha became a republic and Sultan Mohd-vi was deposed in 1922.
    Mustafa kemal laid six broad principles of reforms.
(1) Republic:-
In the first place Turkey was made a republic in 1922 with a constitution modelled on western parliamentary lines, though with a one party system. The office of Caliph was abolished. the women could participate in elections. The National Assembly of Turkey was to be elected for a term of four years through universal adult franchise. The Assembly was to elect a president of Republic for four years. Mustafa Kemal became the first president and retained  this office till his death in 1938.

(2)  Nationalism
All citizens of Turkey without distinction of race and religion were to be Turks. He provided modern Turkey an identity and made it a modern nation state. He shifted the capital from Istanbul to Ankara in Anatolia as a symbol of new nationalist Turkey.

(3) Populism.
Populism  means equality before law and rejection of class privileges. Kemal abolished the old Ottoman names and titles.

(iv) Estatism.
State control over industry, mines, transport and means of production were established. His govt subsidised agriculture. Modern farms were established with latest machinery and techniques. He created state enterprises managed by the Govt.

(v) Secularism
The Islamic codes and laws were replaced by a European law code. Polygamy was banned and civil marriages were introduced. The western calendar was introduced with sunday and the friday as weekly holiday. Building of new mosques and repair of old ones were discouraged. Public education was separated from mosque/church influences. He required men to wear western dress, abolished the Fez and veil. Women were made eligible for public offices and professions.
   The Turkish language was reformed by the introduction of western alphabets. Turks were now required to take surnames in the Western manner. Kemal himself took the surname of Ataturk(father of Turks). He deleted the articles in the constitution in 1928 that Islam was state religion.

(vi) Revolutionalization
At his death in 1938 Ataturk had revolutionized his country. According to him it was necessary to convert Turkey from an oriental state into a western one. However,  in foreign policy Turkey remained independent and conciliatory.
     So under Mustafa Kemal Turkey from a 'sickman of Europe' became a modern state. Although he took ruthless measures of westernization and practically was a dictator, but he was a popular and benevolent dictator.
  The six pillars of Kemalism are:- (i) republicanism (ii) Kemalism (iii) Populism (iv) Estatism (v) Secularism (vi) revolutionism