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At the outset of
the second century since his birth, Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk stands as a triumphant and transcendent
figure. Saviour of his nation's sovereignty.
Undefeated commander. Pioneer of anticolonialism.
Staunchest foe of imperialism at home and abroad.
Creator of a republic. Transformer of the political,
legal and socio-economic system. Cultural modernizer.
Inspiration for education and the arts. Spell-binding
orator. Advocate of fundamental freedoms and human
rights. Language reformer. Humanist and
international peacemaker. Model for the leaders of
emancipation and emerging nations. The hero of a
twentieth century renaissance.
Destiny has endowed
very few individuals with any of Atatürk's
achievements. Still fewer are those, in the East or
in the West, in this century or in earlier ages, who
gained distinction in many of the same achievements.
It is virtually impossible to think of any
historical figure who accomplished it all
in so short a period with as much enduring impact.
As it has become
abundantly clear once again during the Centennial of
his birth, Atatürk remains the hero par excellence
for all times-for the Turkish nation and the world
at large.
What are the powers
that create and perpetuate a hero of such magnitude?
Ancient philosophy, in its analysis, stressed the
divine aspects while acknowledging the extraordinary
human qualities which galvanize the heroic
personality. Classical mythology gave us gods as
men-and legends transformed men into gods.
For modern
philosophy, the hero is a creation of a spectrum of
forces. Carlyle argued that history is the work of
great men. Some thinkers delineated the hero as the
embodiment and expression of Zeitgeist, the
spirit of the times. The euhemeristic view stresses
the mythic forces and heroic events as the basis of
history. The hero, according to the sociological
approach, is the product of societal imperatives,
shaped by historical determinism. Analyses made in
recent times, however, tend to create a synthesis of
these divergent interpretations.
Seen from the
broadest perspective, the hero is a charismatic
figure of action who emerges inexorably in response
to the demands of cataclysmic events, dominates the
moment by the force of his personality, channels the
course of developments through his vision and
personal power, and achieves a lasting impact. In
this sense, the hero is, at once, mythic and god-like,
the chosen instrument of history and the creative
power that re-shapes it, the symbol of the age and
its giant step into the future.
Atatürk's emergence
and lasting impact as a hero can be viewed as an
ideal testament to all of these classical and modern
concepts. His personality and achievements stand as
the perfect proof of the seemingly paradoxical but
essentially integral theorems that the hero is "transcendent
and preternatural" or a "compelling product of his
nation and time," Atatürk was neither a deus ex
machine nor a mere reflection of the collective
destiny. As he often articulated it, his leadership
did represent the will and the aspirations of a
great nation which rightfully took pride in its
heroes and historical grandeur. But the Turkish
nation and the world have known him since the late
1910s as an extraordinary epoch-making figure who
not only embodied his nation's greatness but also
contributed to his age and the future by his
creative vision.
Few leaders have
crystallized within their personalities the
imperatives of their national heritage, provided
perfect leadership for their times, and given a
society the thrust for dramatic transformation as
Atatürk was able to.
A true measure of
Atatürk's success can be found, along with many
other factors, in the enduring quality of his ideas.
Of the world statesmen who emerged in the 1920s and
1930s, very few still influence their nations the
way Atatürk continues to exert his impact on present-day
Turkey. Of those who offered new ideologies in the
same decades, none commands any national following
or even respect. Only the ideology of Atatürk-first
known as "Kemalism," later as "Atatürkism"-remains
the fundamental state ideology.
"The Atatürk
Centennial Album," produced by the Turkish-American
community, is a symbolic tribute to the creator of
Modern Turkey. The articles in the Album deal with
Atatürk's achievements in different fields. Taken
together, they unfurl the panorama of Turkish
transformation under the great leader and since his
death in 1938. The Album helps to show us how and
why Atattirk was the quintessence and the destiny of
his nation's will-and remains its aspiration for the
coming decades.
Historians, poets,
social scientists, journalists, and statesmen,
Turkish and non-Turkish, continue to sing Atatürk's
praises. Such praises are totally deserved. Most of
them are actually objective assessments without any
exaggeration. The Atatürk Centennial has proven once
again that the world, from Kings and Presidents to
school children, revere the great Turkish leader.
Two millennia ago, Horace wrote: "The hero who is
worthy of her praise the muse will not let die."
This Album is meant as a respectful remembrance and
objective historical analysis of the Hero who needs
no praise to remain immortal. |
BRILLANT PERSONALITY