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John F. Kennedy, President of
the United States of America The name of
Atatürk reminds people of the historical successes
of one of the great individuals of this century, the
leadership that gave inspiration to the Turkish
nation, farsightedness in the understanding of the
modern world and courage and power as a military
leader. It is without a doubt that another example
can't be shown indicating greater successes than the
birth of the Turkish Republic and ever since then
Atatürk's and Turkey's broad and deep reforms
undertaken as well as the confidence of a nation in
itself.
Franklin D. Roosevelt,
President of the United States of America
I obtained information concerning Mustafa Kemal from
someone who knows him very well. When talking with
Foreign Minister Litvinov of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics, he said that in his opinion,
the most valuable and interesting statesman in all
of Europe does not live in Europe today, but beyond
the Bosphorus, he lives in Ankara, and that this was
the President of the Turkish Republic, Gazi Mustafa
Kemal Atatürk.
L'IIIustration Newspaper,
France
History has seen many great people. It has seen
Alexander the Great's, Napoleon's, Washington's.
However, in the twentieth century Atatürk broke the
record for greatness, this Turkish son of a Turk.
Winston Churchill, Prime
Minister of the United Kingdom Atatürk's
death is not only a loss for the country, but for
Europe is the greatest loss, he who saved Turkey in
the war and who revived a new the Turkish nation
after the war. The sincere tears shed after him by
all classes of people is nothing other than an
appropriate manifestation to this great hero and
modern Turkey's Ata.
Vladimir llyich Lenin, Leader of the Russian
Revolution Mustafa Kemal was not a socialist.
But it can be perceived that he is a good organizer,
with great understanding, progressive, with good
thoughts and an intelligent leader. He is carrying
out a war of independence against those plunderers.
I am believing that he will break the pride of the
imperialists and that he will beat the Sultan
together with his friends.(1921)
Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United
States of America
In connection with the permanent memorial facility
for Kemal Atatürk, I take pride in presenting my
congratulations to Turkey. Your great country that
is advancing on the course that he demonstrated has
obtained very significant successes. This ceremony
that is being held to commemorate the memory of
Atatürk, the architect of progress and Turkish unity,
is a very appropriate respect to a person who became
a source of inspiration to free peoples throughout
the world.
Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India
Kemal Atatürk or Kemal Pasha by which name we knew
him in those times, was my hero during my youth. I
was very moved when I read about his great reforms.
I met with great praise the general efforts made by
Atatürk on the course of modernizing Turkey. His
dynamism, undauntedness and unawareness of fatigue
created a great effect on people. He was one of the
builders of the modern age in the orient. I continue
to be among his greatest admirers.
Hayato Ikeda, Prime Minister of Japan
We feel a great admiration for Atatürk in his
efforts towards ensuring the modernization of
Turkish society by separating religion and politics
from each other and by carrying out the Turkish
Language Reforms.
Joseph Luns, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the
Netherlands In our times, it is Atatürk who
brought Turkey to its current status as a modern
republic with his farsighted and courageous
political, social and economic reforms. At the same
time, it was also he that prepared the foundation of
the modern economy that will ensure today Turkey's
attaining the strength to be able to enter the
European Economic Community.
General Douglas MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief
of the Far East Forces, U.S.A.
He was a military-statesman, one of the greatest
leaders of our era. He ensured that Turkey got its
rightful place among the most advanced nations. Also,
he gave the feeling of support and self-confidence
to the Turks, that forms the foundation stone of a
nation's greatness. I take great pride in being one
of Atatürk's loyal friends.
Ernest Hemingway, American Journalist and
Novelist
The West and the East came face to face at the
second class coastal town of Mudanya on a crooked
road covered with dust on the hot Marmara coast.
Despite the English flag ship "Iron-Duke's" ash-colored
deathly turrets that transported the Allied generals
for negotiations with Ismet Pasha, the Westerners
had come here to beg for peace, not to ask for peace
or to dictate the conditions... These negotiations
demonstrate the end of Europe's dominance over Asia,
because as everyone knows, Mustafa Kemal got rid of
all the Greeks.
Social Demokraten Newspaper, Sweden
The world, by no means and at no time, has witnessed
such an exciting event as the re-founding of Turkey
with a Western point of view and belief.
Daily Telegraph Newspaper, England
In no other country have women advanced this rapidly.
It is truly an unique event in history for a nation
to change to this degree.
Habib ben Ali Bourguiba, President of Tunisia
The Sakarya Battle, the Sakarya Victory became the
strongest recollection when I was twenty. At that
time I said to myself, I wonder whether or not I can
mobilize my country like this? Can I not instill in
his spirit this delivering attack, this unreined
passion?
Gyulaa Kornis, Speaker of the Hungarian
Parliament In 1918
Turkey was a defeated nation seemingly in
irreparable collapse. Today, twenty years later, we
see a nation on the borders of Europe and Asia,
economically and culturally prosperous, once again
important internationally, and profiting from
peaceful relations with all its neighbors.
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