When I flew into Istanbul, I arrived at the Atatürk International Airport (Atatürk Havalimani). Atatürk was just a name to me. I thought possibly the name of a city. I didn't think much of it. Quickly, I realized that Atatürk was more than just a name here. Atatürk was a legend here in Turkey. 
References to this great political figure are everywhere. Children have numerous books about his life and legacy. He is the only figure found on the currency and his image dominates most pictures hanging in store windows, whether they be for sale or not. I was trying to compare his legacy here to someone similar in the United States, and I just can't think of anyone that would compare. Possibly during the late 1700's Washington may have been regarded this way, but I am not sure considering the number of people in the States at that time doesn't compare to the number of people here in the early 1900's and now.
I decided to look into the life of the first president of Turkey, and found him quite interesing. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born with just the name "Mustafa" in 1881. His mother seemed to want Mustafa to attend a religious school, which he did for the first few years. During this time, a math teacher gave him his second name, Kemal, which means "Perfection" or "Maturity". Later, he attended a private school that was more secular, with the approval of his father. But it wasn't long before Mustafa expressed an interest in the Military and secretly applied for a Military school. He was accepted and gratuated from the War Academy when he was 24. He showed a great ablilty in leadership and was quickly promoted from lieutenant to captain. His leadership was proven while fighting the Italio-Turkish Wars, Balkan Wars, and WWI. He was successful in defeating all opponents he faced. In 1918, after his stint in the military had ended, he traveled to Istanbul where many nations and the Ottoman Empire were struggling for power.
From what I can gather, his true legacy begins with the Turkish War of Indepence, which began in 1919. With the struggles between the Ottoman military and other nationalists, Mustafa and others took part in declaring that the independence of the country was in danger of being overrun by other nations (including, Britain, Italian, French and Greek). This upset the Ottoman Army, and his once loyal employer seeked his capture and potential execution.
To be continued...
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