THE MASTER OF TURKEY

Evening Star, Issue 19775, 27 January 1928, Page 2

THE MASTER OF TURKEY

GKA/.'l tfJUSTAPHfI REMAL PASHA

lii many nays, writes ii. Charles Wood in the ‘ Fortnightly Review,’ Ghazi Mustapha Kemal .Pasha, the President of the Turkish Republic, is the most interesting personality who has conic into prominence since the war. With a name hardly known outside Turkey at the time of the Armistice, his already locally accepted honesty, patriotism, and military skill were by then responsible for -a reputation subsequently enabling him to convert what appeared to be a final defeat into a relatively far-reaching victory, and to secure the replacement of the Treaty of Sevres by that of Lausanne. In view of this fundamental reversal of the once situation, of the recent and all-important step of the President in visiting Constantinople after an ab- | sence of over eight years, and of the itiore or less new departure, indicated by the electoral suppression of all opposition throughout the country, no apology seems necessary for referring to the personality and earlier career of a man only recently sufficiently important to attract attention, for discussing the policy inaugurated by tins remarkable leader, and for examining the results of a regime the details of which are not always understood in tho Western world. Born forty-seven years ago, Mustapha Kemal is of medium height and thick-set build, and he has deep-sunk keen, blue-grey eyes, high cheek bones, and a prominent, somewhat pointed chin. His brushcd-back hair is brown; he wears a close-cropped moustache, and, whether in uniform or plain clothes, he is always clean and smart. Indeed, in spite of his many other more important activities, he takes a considerable interest in his_ personal appearance, and rumor has it that during Ids recent visit to Constantinople the President sent a special representative to London and Paris with the principal object of obtaining for him luggage, clothing, and jewellery of the latest styles. The President talks little unless lie is really interested, he smokes countless cigarettes, and he is an energetic worker. With rather an abrupt manner, probably intended to cover his lack of knowledge on many points and to carry his opinion with subordinates and acquaintances, Mustapha Kemal speaks French, hut when it becomes a question of argument force rather than reason dominates, and he is sometimes wont to avoid difficulties by .appearing to refer awkward questions to others. He is brave and patriotic to the last degree, but perhaps the President’s most outstanding characteristics are self-confidence and conceit, which in earlier days led to quarrels with his superiors, and which now amount to obstinacy. And, lastly he has great vitality, persevering energy and marked driving power; he has the capacity for looking after and making himself popular with his troops, and, once committed to an enterprise, ho knows no such thing as fear or withdrawal.

Whilst Mustapha Kemal is _ widely believed to enjoy fhe good things of life, he remained in Anatolia from May, 1919, until ho visited Constantinople this slimmer, and he lives the remote life engendered by his residence at Tchan-Kaya, a suburb of Angora. In January, 1923, and shortly after the death or his mother, for whom he had serious, respect, and who accompanied him to the new capital, the President married Latife Hanoum, the daughter of Muammer Bey, a prosperous Smyrna merchant, in whose house he (the President) had stayed by her invitation at the time of tho Greek debacle in the preceding autumn. Her Excellency, then only about twenty years of age, speaks English, French, and German. She was educated m France and in this country, and the marriage, which was' private and of which nothing was known in advance, took place shortly after the bride’s return from Western Europe. _ Latife Hanoum, who has an attractive personality and a vivacious manner, is a prominent advocate of ■women’s causes, and she followed the work of her husband with the closest attention and interest. The President divorced her in August, 1925. No official reason was given for this action, but it is widely reported that Mustapha Kemal had grown tired of the activities of a woman who, he considered, showed too great a desire to mix herself in the affairs of State. There were no children of the marriage. Mustapha Kemal has not acquired a second wife, and the divorced lady is reported to have returned to her parents in Smyrna, whither, presumably, her life ane movements are marc or loss closely reported to headquarters. From the constitutional and practical standpoints tho Ghazi, supported by his chief lieutenant, Ismet Pasha, is the only man who counts in the country. At the first meeting of the Grand National Assembly in April, 1920, he became its president, and, as the authority of tho Sultan was ignored long before the abolition of the Sultanate in November, 1922, for over three years that body was the only recognised representative of the sovereignty which belonged to the people, in October, 1923, however, the proclamation of the Republic confirmed by rho Constitution adopted in the following April, signified a movement towards the Right. Indeed, whilst the Assembly still nominally elects the President, and whilst the Ministers chosen by him are officially responsible to Parliament, the full powers of the executive really rest completely in the hands of the chief of the State. There is a Council of Ministers and the President takes no part in the debates in the Chamber, but he holds the destiny of Cabinets in his hands, and he retains his position as chief of the People’s Party, which has regularly authorised legislation before its submission to Parliament. In the past, when the Opposition .showed signs of causing trouble or of gaining strength, legislation has been framed to put a stop to such activities, and from March, 1925, until earlier in the present year, the law for the maintenance of good order and the so-called Tribunals of Independence were widely employed for the purpose of safeguarding the present Administration, and for bringing to trial not only those guilty of attempted treason, but also innocent opponents, whose existence or liberty were likely to be objectionable to the present authorities. In March these tribunals were abolished, but the memory of their drastic work, especially in connection with the socalled "plot of June, .1926, is such that for the moment all criticism has been silenced. The changes and policy inaugurated or confirmed during the last four years are fundamental and revolutionary. Angora, the already long time headquarters of the Nationalist movement, was formally declared the permanent capital by the Constitution of April, 1924, and nothing which has since occurred seems likely to change this decision, at least so Jong as Mustapha Kemal Pasha remains the head of the Administration. This is really the case, because, whereas Constantinople is cosmopolitan, international, and probably incapable of producing reform, Angora represents the aloofness, nationalism, and simplicity responsible for the birth and growth of the new movement. For these and other reasons, in spite of contrary opinions, it would seem to the present writer that the recent three months’ stay of the Ghazi at Constantinople signified not a change of attitude, but a propf that tho President has grown more confident of his position, and that he was at least prepared to take this further step in the consolidation of, the new situation, Jn any case, even if the visit fails to obliterate

the jealousy of Constantinople for Angora, its inception, its boldness, and its obvious success should help tn remove opposition towards him in tho former capital, where naturally the recent electoral comedy must have met with widespread though secret censure. The vast majority of the non-Turks having been expelled from the country, and the population for the lirst time being more or less homogeneous, extreme Nationalism takes the form ol endeavoring to get rid, of all foreign influences, of attempting to interfere with the work and activities of all alien institutions and concerns, and ol placing prohibitive tariffs upon imports. Money is urgently required for the conduct of the State, but until the last few weeks, 'when something seems to have been done in the way of admitting the rights of the Smyrna-Aidin Railway, and when a settlement of the Ottoman debt question appears to have been arrived at, no serious attempts had been made to attract foreign capital, largely because of a iear of the conditions or control likely to accompany any borrowing on the international market. The anti-clericalism of the Government was brought about not merely the suppression of the Caliphate and the position of the Sheik-ul-Islam and the abolition of the religious courts, but a decree was issued in July granting complete religious liberty, and permitting those who have _ reached their majority to change their faith. And then, although this has not yet been officially proclaimed, reports arc current that the Christian Sunday is to bo adopted as the day of national rest. Such changes, like tho disappearance of the fez, the complete freedom of women, and the introduction of tho Western calendar, prove that the Government is dominated by a desire to be modern, and that it is sufficiently strong to ignore prejudices which have existed through many a century. Over and above the reconquest of Western Anatolia and Eastern Thrace from the Greeks, and the expulsion of tho French _ from Cilicia, tho present Administration has done a material amount for the population. The army is a first care, but public security is certainly better than a few years ago. and probably better than in the period immediately preceding the war. The tithe, which pressed heavily on peasants, has been abolished; the President, himself a keen and up-to-date farmer, is encouraging the importation of modern machinery, and an agricultural bank has been established. The prosperity of Constantinople, which has suffered heavily from tho removal of the capital, from the present stagnation in Russia, and from the some time governmental altitude towards transit trade, is now to be furthered by the re-establishment of a free zone. Education, in. a lamentable state in former days, is being improved, and special endeavors have been instituted to provide teacher fitted for that work. And then, even if time must elapse before the courts can he completely purified, the adoption of new civil and penal codes, modelled respectively" upon those of Switzerland and Italy, indicates a change of wide significance. Lastly, whereas the country still possesses relatively few railways or roads worthy of that name, progress is being made in these directions. For example—and this is very remarkable—a line of 240 miles in length, and built entirely with native experts and native money, was opened from Angora to Kaiseria last May. And then, from the beginning of August, it has been possible to cover the 350 miles which separate Angora from Constantinople in less than fifteen hours; that is much quicker than before tho _ war. Such developments, important in themselves, demonstrate that the Turk, who has always relied upon foreign capital and foreign experts for railway construction, is capable of performing work of which ho has never previously been thought capable. The present and the probable future depend almost _ entirely upon the personality, capacity, and wisdom of the Ghazi. Mustapha Kemal Pasha is relatively young, he is extremely powerful, and, rightly or wrongly; ho lias decided to suppress all open opposition within and without the Great National He is at liberty to continue to rule with an iron hand, to pursue a policy of imprisonment and execution, and to maintain himself by the sword. Alternatively he may adopt a moderate attitude, sense the feelings of the most patriotic elements of his public, without of necessity admitting a formal opposition, and introduce at least a vestige of democracy. In the former event he must be content to secure the fulsome and insincere praise for which the Orient is notorious, and to rule his country without the approval of the more liberal world. Tn the latter case lie will enhance his reputation not only with his own people, but throughout the sphere of civilisation. The Angora _ Government now appears to be adopting the postiiou of an honest debtor. Under able, astute, and temperate guidance there is no reason to prevent it from consolidating its own internal situation and from securing the respect of mankind.