The first President of Turkey was Mustafa Kemal who was proclaimed as the president with the creation of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
Prior to this Turkey had been known as the 'Ottoman Empire' and Kemal sought to bring the country more up to date with its neighbours. He is known today as 'Ataturk' Father of the Turks since he was the first leader to establish religious tolerance, separated the education system from Islamic control and he devised a new alphabet, based on Roman as opposed to Arabic script.
Throughout his leadership he called for modern, scientific codes, to replace the Islamic control of most of the ways of life in Turley at that time.
He also encouraged both men and women to dress in western clothes and believed passionately in educational opportunities for girls as well as boys. He even granted women the vote, with national suffrage being granted in 1934. He is still fondly remembered in Turkey today.
Prior to this Turkey had been known as the 'Ottoman Empire' and Kemal sought to bring the country more up to date with its neighbours. He is known today as 'Ataturk' Father of the Turks since he was the first leader to establish religious tolerance, separated the education system from Islamic control and he devised a new alphabet, based on Roman as opposed to Arabic script.
Throughout his leadership he called for modern, scientific codes, to replace the Islamic control of most of the ways of life in Turley at that time.
He also encouraged both men and women to dress in western clothes and believed passionately in educational opportunities for girls as well as boys. He even granted women the vote, with national suffrage being granted in 1934. He is still fondly remembered in Turkey today.
