Today I will talk about a person who is considered the Father of the Turks by many nations, and most importantly, by us—Turkish people. There is a famous saying by our leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: “Peace at home, peace in the world.” When you hear it for the first time, it may sound simple, but let’s look at it from a different perspective and return to the times and conditions under which Atatürk said these words.
Before the founding of the Republic of Turkey, the Ottoman Empire had surrendered to the Allied Powers. The Ottoman army was under their control. The government in Istanbul was not resisting, and the Empire’s political power was not strong enough to overcome this situation. Unfortunately, the Ottoman Empire surrendered. The press was also controlled by the Allied Powers, and the people of the Empire were unable to do anything.
At the time of the Armistice of Mudros, Mustafa Kemal knew that he had to act. He knew that he had to save the future. After all the difficulties the Empire had experienced, he understood that he needed to organize the people—and fortunately, he succeeded.
After many years of war, peace was finally achieved. However, there was one major issue: Mustafa Kemal knew that we could not continue as an empire and that we needed a democratic system. For this reason, he founded the Republic of Turkey. Shortly after the establishment of the new state, he said: “Peace at home, peace in the world.”
This is not just a saying for us. It reminds us that lasting peace in the world requires cooperation and understanding between nations—especially after all the hardships we have faced.