CAREER ENDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23192, 11 November 1938, Page 9

CAREER ENDS

KAMAL ATATURK DEATH ANNOUNCED PRESIDENT OF TURKEY BUILDER OF A NATION By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 10, 11.45 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10 The death occurred at 9.5 this morning of Kamal Ataturk, President of the Turkish Republic, says a message from Istanbul. Two days ago he had a recurrence of the grave illness from which he has suffered during the last few months, and his condition rapidly became most serious, ending in his death. The Times' Istanbul correspondent suggested yesterday that the announcement of the President's death and the election of his successor might be made simultaneously. All Deputies had been ordered to return to the capital. Kamal Ataturk (Mustapha Kemal) was elected first President of the Turkish Republic in 1923 and had held the position ever since. He was born at Salonika in 1881, of an Anatolian family. As a young captain on the general staff he was one of the leaders of the Young Turks. These forced Sultan Abdul Hamid to restore the

constitution and in 1909 dethroned him in favour of his brother Reshad, who ruled as Mahommed V. During the Great War Kamal fought with special distinction in the Dardanelles and later under Liman von Sanders, led the Turkish foroes in Palestine. It was he who was responsible for the capture of General Townshend at Kut and the breaking of the British offensive in Gallipoli. Seized War Material After the Great War Kamal took over the chief command from von Sanders at Adana, where according to the armistice conditions he was to collect the Turkish war material and hand it over to the Entente. This, however, he did not do, but with the rest of the troops and all the material marched into Anatolia, whence he was able in the spring of 1919 to drive back a French detachment near Mersina. This success brought him a steadily increasing accession of ex-soldiers and volunteers. Thus in the summer of 1919 he was able to call a National Assembly at Angora and set up a Government in opposition to the regime of the Sultan at Constantinople, which he regarded as under the control of the Entente. In August he threatened to proclaim an independent republic in Angora, but this step was prevented by negotiations. The situation, however, became acute through the occupation of Constantinople by the Britisn. When the Cabinet of Salih Pasha found itself forced to resign in April, 1920, Kamal, shortlv before the San Remo Conference, had himself proclaimed ' Grand Vizier in Anatolia. France in 1921 concluded a treaty under which his Government was recognised. Victory over Greeks

Meanwhile he had recruited an army of over 100,000 men and in the autumn of 1922 attacked the Greeks with such success that they had to evacuate Asia Minor. He advanced to the Dardanelles and forced Greece and her powerful allies in the Peace of Lausanne (July 24, 1923) to restore Thrace as far as the Maritza and including Adrianople. For this victory Kamal was awarded the title of "Ghazi" (The Conqueror). On November 1, 1922, the Angora Assembly had abolished the Sultanate and Mahommed V.' had got away in a British warship. The Osman dynasty was banished for ever from Turkey. On October 29, 1923, the National Assembly proclaimed a Turkish Republic and chose Kamal as its first President. He broke with many traditions. In March, 1924, he took the bold step of abolishing the Caliphate which had been the mainstay of Turkish power and prestige. Kamal substituted a code of civil law for the sacred law of Islam, suppressed all the Islamic religious orders, disestablished the Church, legislated against polygamy, emancipated women froni the harem, forbade the wearing of the fez and turban, set Up a drastic system of taxation and introduced a Latin alphabet for the Turkish language—and all this without provoking any serious opposition. Conspiracy Suppressed

After the war Kamal married Latifeh Hanoutn, daughter of a rich Smyrna merchant, who gave .her a dowry of £130,000. Educated in England, she was a leader of the Turkish women's movement and went about unveiled even when attending official functions with the President. He divorced her in August, 1925. In July, 1926, he suppressed a conspiracy against his life and 13 of those involved, including several ex-Ministers, were put to death. He also put down a serious Kurdish revolt. In October, 1927, Kamal delivered an oration lasting six days in which he gave an account of the origin of the Turkish Republic and of his stewardship. After this he was unanimously re-elected President for another four years. The unanimity was due in part to the suppression by him of every party but his own. ~ Wide Reforms Inaugurated In* 1930 Kamal inaugurated an attempt to create a two-party system, as he did not wish the Turkish regime to imitate the Soviet tyranny and welcomed party discussion. But at the elections in April, 1931, only 19 Independents were returned against 287 of the Government Party. The new Latin alphabet was discussod by experts for six months without result. Then Kamal sketched it out in one night and himself took part in teaching it. Other reforms he instituted were the introduction of Western music and dancing; the substitution of the handshake for the obeisance; schools for social science; regulation of the employment of children; and an annual children's week, during which the whole State is nominally administered by young folk. Kamal also drove the beggars ofl the streets, made it a crime laugh at tfie demented or. crippled and forced engaged couples to produce clean bills of health before they could marry*