Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

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FOUNDER AND THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC Atatürk was born in 1881 at the Kocakasım ward of Salonika, in a three story pink house located on Islahhane Street. His father is Ali Rıza Efendi and his mother Zübeyde Hanım. His paternal grandfather, Hafız Ahmed Efendi belonged to the Kocacık nomads who were settled in Macedonia during the XIV - XV th centuries. His mother Zübeyde Hanım was the daughter of an Old Turkish family who had settled in the town of Langasa near Salonika. Ali Rıza Efendi, who worked as militia officer, title deed clerk and lumber trader, married Zübeyde Hanım in 1871. Four of the 5 siblings of Atatürk died at early ages and only one sister, Makbule (Atadan) survived, and lived until 1956. Upon reaching school age, little Mustafa started school at the neighborhood classes of Hafız Mehmet Efendi and later, with his father's choice, was transferred to Şemsi Efendi School. He lost his father in 1888 where upon he stayed at the farm of his maternal uncle for a while and returned to Salonika to complete his studies. He registered at the Salonika Mülkiye Rüştiye (secondary school) and soon transferred to the military Rüştiye. While at this school, his math teacher, also named Mustafa, added "Kemal" to his name. He attended the Manastır Military School between 1896 - 1899 and later the Military School in İstanbul from which he graduated in 1902 with the rank of lieutenant. He later entered the Military Academy and graduated on January 11, 1905 with the rank of major. Between 1905 - 1907 he was stationed in Damascus with the 5th. Army. In 1907 he was promoted to the rank of "Kolağası" (senior major) and was posted with the III rd Army , which was stationed in Manastır. He was the Staff Officer of the "Special Troops" (Hareket Ordusu) which entered İstanbul on April 19, 1909. He was sent to Paris in 1910 where he attended the Picardie manuevers. In 1911 he started to work at the General Staff Office in İstanbul. Mustafa Kemal was stationed at Tobruk and Derne regions with a group of his friends during the war which started with the Italian attack on Tripoli. He won the Tobruk battle in 22 December 1911 against the Italians. On March 6, 1912 he was made the Commander of Derne. When the Balkan War started in October 1912, Mustafa Kemal joined the battle with units from Gallipoli and Bolayır.

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