Ataturk's Revolutions
Ataturk may have been a military genius and a charismatic leader; Besides, he was also a great revolutionary. At that time, modernization was very important for the Republic of Turkey to be at the level of contemporary civilizations and to become an active member of culturally developed societies. Between 1924 and 1938, Ataturk implemented the Revolutions, which provided vital information for the salvation and survival of its people and aimed to "raise Turkey to the level of modern civilization". We can categorize these Revolutions, which were welcomed with great enthusiasm by the Turkish people, under five headings:
Political Revolutions
• Abolition of the Sultanate (November 1, 1922)
• Proclamation of the Republic (29 October 1923)
• Abolition of the Caliphate (March 3, 1924)
Social Revolutions
• Equal rights for women and men (1926-1934)
With the Atatürk Revolution, new rights began for Turkish women, who had been neglected for centuries. Thus, in accordance with the accepted civil law, women also had the rights specific to men, they had the right to be appointed to official positions, to vote and to be elected to the National Assembly. The principle of monogamy and the equal rights protected by women brought vitality to Turkish society.
• Hat and clothing revolution (November 25, 1925)
With the clothing revolution, women stopped wearing chadors and started wearing modern women's dresses. Men could not participate in wearing hats instead of fez.
• Closure of lodges, lodges and tombs (November 30, 1925)
• Surname law (21 June 1934)
According to the law adopted by the Grand National Assembly, the Turks took the surname and the leader of the nation was given the surname Atatürk, which means "Father of the Turks".
• Actors of nicknames and titles (November 26, 1934)
• International clock and calendar (1925) and acceptance of measurements of lengths (1931)
Legal Revolution
• Mecelle's friends (1924-1937)
• Transition to secular legal order by enacting the Turkish Civil Code and other laws (1924-1937)
The new State of Türkiye, established in 1920, needed a new legal system. Atatürk replaced the Sharia Law with the Swiss Civil Code, and instead of the punishment in force at that time, he maintained the Italian Penal Code. The Turkish Legal System has been modernized within the framework of all contemporary processes.
Revolutions in Education and Culture
• Unification of education (March 3, 1924)
• Acceptance of new Turkish letters (November 1, 1928)
One of the most important revolutions made by Ataturk was the writing of Arabic alphabets and the adoption of Latin alphabets. The new Turkish Alphabet was accepted on November 3, 1928.
• Establishment of Turkish Language and History Institutions (1931-1932)
• Regulation of the regulation of the university - Secularization of education (31 May 1933)
In the early 19th century, various education systems were implemented within the Ottoman Empire. Ataturk saw that the madrasah system providing Islamic education could not respond to the new society. Therefore, the foundations of a new education system similar to western models were necessary. Thus, in 1933, the existing system was changed and a university reform was carried out.
• Encouraging farmers
• Establishment of model farms
• Establishment of industrial countries by enacting the Industrial Incentive Law
• I. and II. Implementation of Development Plans (1933-1937), donation of renovation of the dormitory
Atatürk's Works on Turkish History
After the literary revolution, which meant a kind of nationalism in the cultural field, Ataturk focused on the discussion of his history and the Turkish Historical Society was founded in 1931. Here, the History of Türkiye is examined and evaluated.
Other Revolutions
1924 Weekend Law, 1926 Code of Obligations and Commercial Law.