Atatürk, Kemal, 1881-1938; Turkey -- Description and travel; Turkey -- Politics and government -- 1918-1960
Formerly a Naval officer, he distinguished himself in all the wars of
the last twenty-five years; and his command of the _Hamidieh_ in the
Balkan War, against the whole of the Greek Fleet, is not yet forgotten.
As Marine Minister in Izzet Pasha’s Cabinet he accompanied General
Townshend and Admiral Calthorpe to Mudros, and signed the Armistice with
the Allies. In the Chamber of Deputies at Constantinople he did not
hesitate to avow his allegiance to Mustapha Kemal, and was consequently
one of the first to be arrested by the English and sent to Malta.
Handsome, intelligent, a hard worker, subtle and liberal-minded, he very
soon came to the front. He was the first Vice-President of the Assembly,
and became Prime Minister last May. During the absence of Ismet Pasha at
Lausanne, he also acted as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
I heard him several times during my stay in Angora, and his fearless
speeches were not only a political event, but always caused something of
a sensation outside the capital.
He has never disguised his love for England, nor what he owes to her
education. The disillusion after Mudros and at Malta was hard to bear.
He had not only to mourn for a shattered idol, but to suffer abuse from
his fellow-countrymen for a trust of which he had been so proud.
He is, however, far too intelligent to quarrel with a whole nation for
the errors of its Government. “The future depends on England,” he said;
“we can do nothing to improve relations until peace is signed; but there
will be abundant opportunities in the future, and, if England is
willing, she can come to us then.”
“In six months,” I replied, “we shall be as great friends as ever we
were.”
“That, again, depends entirely upon you.”
I asked him whether large concessions had been made to France in return
for her political support.
“As the first to understand the Nationalist movement,” he replied, “we
owe her a great moral debt; which I have myself acknowledged and called
on the world to witness. But for concessions, the field is open to all.
We shall, naturally, accept the most advantageous offer.”
* * * * *
Rauf Bey has strong theories about education; and has determined that it
shall be made to develop the new Ideal. He closed a school at Adalia
because the children had been taught that Smyrna is Greek and the
Eastern villayets are Armenian. “Every Turk should learn that Smyrna has
never been Greek; an alien minority, protected by foreign powers, has
been the cause of all our troubles.”
It is, obviously, of the first importance that Turkish children should
be inspired, from the beginning, with loyalty to the Fatherland by
knowing the fine story of its growth. “We need schools, and good foreign
schools,” said Rauf Bey, “but until they will work under our supervision
and control we show no favour to any offender, French, American or
Italian—we close all.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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