A statue of Mustafa Ataturk

Atatürk was a military officer during World War I. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in WWI, he led the Turkish national movement in the Turkish War of Independence. Having established a provisional government in Ankara, he defeated the forces sent by the Allies. His efforts gained Turkey independence. Atatürk then embarked upon a program of political, economic, and cultural reforms, seeking to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern and secular nation-state. There is much to admire in this man.