atatürk
Atatürk emerged as a military hero at the Dardanelles in 1915 and became the charşsmatic leader of the liveration struggle in 1919. He was a triumphant commader who drove all the invaders away. He led his nation to full independence. October 29, 1923 is a very important dafe in Turkish history. On that date, Mustafa Kemal put an end to the Ottoman dynasty and founded the Republic of Turkey. As the president for fifteen years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made a broad range of reforms in the political, social, legal, economic and cultural spheres.Atatürk wanted to give his nation a modern outlook; European hats perlaced the fez, women stopped wearing the veil, all citizens took surnames, and the Muslim calender gave way to the Gregorian calendar.The Arabic alphabet gave away to the new alphabet which was easier and suitable for the Turkish language. The Grand National Assembly abolished the Caliphate on March 3, 1924 and closed the religious schools and the dervish lodges. This was an important step in his programme of modernization because it meant the separation of government and religion, that is, secularization. In 1926 the new Civil Code abolished polygamy and recognized the equal rights of women in divorce, custody, and inheritance. Later, in 1934 Turkish women gained the right to vote and to be elected to public office. Women in many Europen countries didn't have such rights. The founder of the Turkish Republic and the first presiden, stands a towering figure of the 20 Century.