ATATURK'S PRINCIPLES

AND HISTORY OF TURKISH REVOLUTION II

ATATURKIST IDEOLOGY SYSTEM
WEEK 6

Assoc. Prof. Ercan KARAKOÇ

 The Definition and Importance of Ataturkist Ideology System
• Ataturkist Ideology System, otherwise known Kemalist ideology
system, is a worldview which is comprised of Ataturk’s thoughts.
• Realistic ideas about the the administration, intellectuality,
economic life, basic social rules, state regime and function,
whose foundations were laid by Ataturk are called as Ataturkism.
• In other words, Ataturkism is the ideal and struggle to create a
community/society in which the science an the reasoning
prevails as based on political and ideological indepedence
thereby bringing the nation into the level above the civilization,
which they deserve without the loss of social and historical
personality.
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 • Ataturkism advises the Turkish nation to have an absolute
independence now and in the future as well as peace and prosperity
while stressing the national sovereignty over the state administration.
• Ataturkist ideology system has a great contribution in the
modernization of the nation and the participation of the individuals in
the state administration. The revolutions which were arisen from this
ideology system enabled the Turkish Nation to improve and develop
in every field.
• All our citizens obtained the right to elect and to elected thanks to these
revolutions.
• In Ataturkist Ideology System, Sovereignty, without any condition and
reservation, belongs to the nation (Egemenlik kayıtsız şartsız millete
aittir).
• There is no force over the National Will.

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 "Sovereignty belongs, without any restrictions or conditions, to the nation" is
embossed behind the speaker's seat at the Turkish Grand National Assembly

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 • National Will is prevalent in the state administration. Thus, the
involvement and participation of the nation in the governance
has an important place in the Ataturks Ideology System.
• Total independence, peace and prosperity of the nation,
governance based on the national will, reaching over the
civilization under the guidance of reasoning and science
constitute the Ataturkish Ideology System.
• Ataturk always prioritized the reasoning and scientific values in
solving of the social problems and he conducted all his
revolutions on this basis.
• Because, this system of ideology is the part of the whole which
determines the features, duties and function of the Republic of Turkey.

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 Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
while adressing the people in Bursa in 1924.

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 • The Turkish Grand National
Assembly added Ataturk’s
Principles and Revolutions to
the Constitution through a
legislation on February 5, 1937.
• So Republicanism, Nationalism,
Populism, Statism, Secularism
and Revolutionizm which are
the basic features of the
Republic of Turkey were
The Six Arrows represent the fundamental
secured under the Constitution pillars of Kemalism
as a guarantee of the modern Turkey's founding ideology.
Turkey.

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 Reasons for the Formation of Ataturkist Ideology System
• The world of thinking of Ataturk was shaped by
the conditions in the atmosphere he grew up.
• Ataturk began to form his thinking system during
his life’s earlier times and the preparatory period
continued until maturation.
• The completion of this first phase continued until
the start of the World War I.
• The finalization of this thinking system which had its
roots in his youth coincided with the end of the
World War I.
• Ataturkist Ideology System can be studied in two
levels.
• The first level when the Ataturkist Ideology System
started to arise/appear
• The second level when the Ataturkist Ideology
System matured. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
with the Six Arrows on his collar

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 Mustafa Kemal is in a Maths class
in Izmir Males High School
on February 1, 1931.

Ataturk is in the library of Çankaya Palace

on July 16, 1929.

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 • The influence of his/her environment is crucial in the formation of the personality
and thoughts of a leader.
• The effects of Ataturk’s social background, his family and his innate sense of
independence had a vital role in the formation of Ataturkist Ideology System.
• Salonica was an important seaport where different views and many political concepts
emerged due to its social structure as well as having an intensive trade flow.
• Salonica in which Mustafa Kemal spent most of his childhood and youth was one of the
most influenced regions in the Empire by the developments in Europe. Hence, Non‐Muslim
societies often revolted against the State.
• Ataturk was influenced by some intellectuals in his youth.
• Among the most important of these, Namık Kemal, Ziya Gökalp, Mehmet Emin Yurdakul
and Tevfik Fikret can be cited.
• Influenced by the Namık Kemal’s ideas about the homeland and the nation, Mustafa Kemal
developed an idea of salvation through Turkism and foundation of a Turkish State based on
the national will as a result of the influences of Ziya Gökalp and Mehmet Emin Yurdakul.

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 Ziya Gökalp Tevfik Fikret

Namık Kemal Mehmet Emin Yurdakul

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 • There were also foreign intellectuals having influence on Ataturk’s ideas.
• Jean Jacquese Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Descartes (Dekart) and Kant contributed
to the formation of Ataturk’s thinking.
• Ataturk closely followed the social, cultural, economic and military problems of the
Ottoman Empire from his youth onwards.
• He sought ways to solve the problems of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, he
produced solutions by inspecting the political, economic, social, cultural and
scientific developments in the world.
• He was influenced by the ideological movements of Equality, Freedom and
Nationalism which rose after the French Revolution.
• He realized that the French Revolution resulted in fundamental changes in the politics and
the movement of thoughts arising from the Revolution deeply influenced the whole world.
• He recognized the reformation of the political and economic relations by the
Industrial Revolution, collapse of the multinational empires because of the
nationalist movements and the remarkable evolution of science and technology.

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 Jean
Voltaire Jacquese
Rousseau

Montesquieu Descartes

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 • Ataturkist Ideology System is based on the independence, peace and
prosperity of Turkish nation and national will in the governance of the
state.
• Mustafa Kemal carried out all reforms after the Republic in
consideration of the reasoning and science.
• One of the most important goals of the Ataturkish Ideology System is
to carry the national culture above the level of the modern world.
• Ataturk studied the economic development models which emerged
with the Industrial Revolution.
• Ataturk started reforms and revolutions to develop the country above
the civilization.

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 A child, reading a poem for Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Vezirhan, January 16, 1923)

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 What are the features of Ataturkism?
• Ataturkism leans on the national culture which was formed in thousands of
years.
• Depending on reasoning and science, placing utmost importance on
individual rights and freedom and aiming to protect the peace in the world,
Ataturkist Ideology System has therefore universal and modern features.
• Ataturkism arised from the needs of the Turkish Nation.
• Under the basis of Ataturkism lays Turkish National Culture.
• Under the basis of Ataturkism lays the universal values.
• Ataturkism leans on reasoning and science.
• Ataturkism is distinctive.
• Ataturkism is a whole.

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 Mustafa Kemal,
the founder of Modern Turkey,
with the Istanbul University
students.

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 Mustafa Kemal,
addressing the Republican People’s Party Congress on
May 9, 1935

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