Abstract:

The correct way of understanding a human being, and the developing events and phenomena depending upon the society and the human being is through reading between the lines of the human being’s world of thought. In order to correctly analyze Ataturk’s –the founder of Turkish Republic- actions, we should research the background of his world of thought. The primary factor shaping his thoughts is Enlightenment. In addition to this, Ataturk was also impressed by the late Ottoman intellectuals like Namik Kemal, Ziya Gokalp and Abdullah Cevdet. Of course his ideas matured during school years. Always being a profound thinker, Ataturk has found a fertile ground for finally unleashing his ideas for his Republican Revolutions that he had in his mind since his early adulthood with the beginning of Turkish Independence War. The glorious victory earned in the War of Independence and its official recognition by the whole world through the Lausanne Treaty Agreement can be seen as the beginning of these Revolutions. When it comes to Ataturk’s Revolutionism; it can be said that he was certainly a man of “synthesis”. He approached the old as the “thesis” and had formulated new and much contemporary substitutes as the “anti-thesis”. He sought a balance between this thesis and anti-thesis and finally reached to the most appropriate “synthesis” only after a period of detailed observations and evaluations. The political aim in Ataturk’s Revolutions had been the establishment of a Democracy where human rights and freedom should prevail. The modern Republic of Turkey, the fruit of his struggle and embracing the ideas of democracy, laicism and parliamentary with multiparty, made a great progress in the achievement of his goals. The success achieved by Ataturk can be attributed to the level of rationalism that was behind his decisions. In his words and actions, we can feel the greatness of a statesman who is realist, with common sense and far-sighted