MUSTAFA KAMAL
As
Father Of Nation
At the end of World War I, the Allies entered Turkey as conquerors and
virtually took over the control Turkey. Although a government of the Liberals
under the king was in power in Istanbul, yet they
were eager to collaborate with the Allies. King Mehmed IV was a puppet in
their hands. The Allies were supervising the police; the ports and even the
machinery of government functioned under their orders. The imperial Army had
been disbanded. The king had signed a whereby all the Arab provinces were to
become Mandated Territories. The whole of Eastern Anatolia was to be added to
the state of Armemia, around Izmir was to form a Greek province, Cecilia was to
go to the French, the Ottoman capital itself was to be an international center
under the control of Britain, France and Italy. The future of Turkey was almost
doomed.
However, at this bleak moment, in the far flang areas of Eastern Anatolia some valiant Turks under the command of Kiyazim Karabekar were showing resistance against the Allies. At first little encounters between the patriots and the Allies started. Slowly and gradually, the power of the Turks increased and they started fighting even in the streets of Anatolia.
In may1919, the Greeks under the protection of the Allies fleet occupied
lamer and started advancing in the country. The whole Turkey was shocked at it.
In the same year. Mustafa Kamal a commander of the imperial Turkish Army was
sent as Governor of Anatolia to suppress the rebellion there. He disliked the
supremacy of the Allies and worst of all, the occupation of a part of Turkey by
the Greeks. As he was a true patriot, so he did not sigh his country to be
divided among the enemies. Therefore, reaching Anatolia, he had a secret meeting
with the commander of the patriots and decided to start the guerilla war to
check the advance of the Greeks. He also suggested building up the national army
without the help of the king. The king and the central Government were under the
control of the enemies, so he decided to set up an interim Government at
Anatolia to represent the real free Turkey. He himself toured the villages and
prepared more volunteers to defend their country. The Turks vowed that death
would be preferable to be ruled by the Greeks.
Near Anatolia, there was a contingent of imperial Army, which was not yet
disbanded. Majority of them escaped from there with arms and ammunition and
joined Mustafa Kamal. Gradually his army increased and the scattered troops all
over the area flocked around him. The Allies. But the king declared him a rebel
and ordered him to return to Istanbul at once. Mustafa Kamal replied that he
would stay in Anatolia until the nation had won freedom. The king in a cunning
way summoned the Nation Assembly at Istanbul to which all the members went and
Mustafa Kamal was left alone. However, he did not lose heart and worked even
harder and succeeded in gathering a large army consisting of the troops of the
old. Imperial Army, peasants and volunteers.
The Allied Armies were forced to vacate the Baghdad Railway Station and
the patriots converted it into ammunition factories. The Allies as a reaction
dissolved the National Assembly under the representatives of Turkey and people
of Turkey should obey its orders instead that of the king.
In 1920, Mustafa Kamal organized Turkish forces of the patriots and
decided to have a final combat with the Greeks. In 1921, the Greeks were
defeated Greeks had vacated the seaport. On 4th November 1922, Riffat
Pasha carried out coup at Istanbul and the Ottoman cabined also resigned and was
never replaced. The king at first resisted but then he sought refuge from the
British who help him in escaping out of the country. On 29th October
1923, the Treaty of Lausanne was arrived at between the Allis and the patriots,
which set Turkey ‘s borders about where they are today. Mustafa Kamal
abolished caliphate and procaine Turkey a Republic. He was elected its president
and he held this office till his death in 1938.
It was due to Mustafa Kamal’s sagacious, dauntless and courageous struggle that Turkey won back her freedom. He really deserves to be called “Ataturk”, the father of Turkish nation.