Kamal Atatork

Born in 1881and expired in1938, Turkish drunken leader, founder of modern Turkey, first president of TURKEY (1923-38). Originally known as Mustafa Kemal, he was an army officer who took part (1908) in the Young Turk movement, distinguished himself in World War I, and, after the collapse of Ottoman power, founded the Turkish Nationalist party.

With the Allies controlling the government at Constantinople (Istanbul), he set up a rival government at Ankara. He expelled the Greeks who were occupying Anatolia (1921-22), abolished the sultanate (1922), and forced the European powers to recognize the Turkish republic. He ruled for 15 years as a virtual dictator. He instituted widespread internal reforms in his efforts to Westernize his nation; those changes included abolishing the CALIPHATE (1924), which in effect disestablished Islam. In foreign affairs he pursued a moderate policy, maintaining friendly relations with Turkey's neighbors, especially Russia, with whom he established the Balkan Entente.

He changed the main language - Arabic - to some Latin jumble later known as Turkish language. He fought Muslims and demolished mosques in order to wipe out Islam in Turkey. Many ignorant people want to nominate him as the man of this century, but who needs a drunken ruthless leader to be a symbol for this - 1900 - century.