Is Atatürk a hardliner?

What does it mean to be a hardliner in Atatürk's case?

Atatürk was a daredevil, he put his head on the line to save his country.

In a conversation about Atatürk, we can also call it a conversation, the topic always comes back to İsmet İnönü. In direct proportion to the level of culture of the speakers in that environment, you have often witnessed people asking the question "Did Atatürk like İsmet İnönü?". 

In fact, behind asking such a question lies the idea of how we can activate a negative understanding of Atatürk's spiritual personality through İnönü, rather than İsmet İnönü. 

On my own behalf, I respond to those who try to shake and undermine the founder of this country and its founding values with such questions: I say that Atatürk was a daredevil of his time. What does daredevil mean? It means a person who risks all kinds of danger for a high ideal, who does not spare even his life for that ideal. In the Ottoman period, soldiers who volunteered to rush into the enemy during a war were called serdengeçti. Ser means head. In other words, it means willing to lose one's head, willing to die.

Mustafa Kemal Pasha, instead of staying in Istanbul, started the liberation struggle of the Turkish nation in Samsun on May 19, 1919, for the sake of saving his country. He led this struggle. He cherished this ideal more than anything else, more than his life. His ideals and ideals came before everything else. 

A daredevil like Atatürk does not just appear randomly. A person does not become a great man out of nowhere. When we look at Atatürk's life, we see that the pain he experienced since his childhood formed the triangulation point in shaping his future life. 

While lighting the fire of independence in Anatolia, he was a leader who did not hesitate to contradict even his closest friends when necessary. For him, when his companionship conflicted with the interests of the country and the truth, he knew how to push them aside with the back of his hand. 

İsmet İnönü was just a friend and companion of his. But he is not indispensable, not a value he cannot sacrifice. The only ideal he could not give up was the "Turkish Nation and the Republic of Turkey". 

Atatürk and İnönü disagreed from time to time. For example, they had deep disagreements on the paper mill, the Hatay issue, the brewery, the appointment of Reşit Galip as minister, the official dismissal of the minister of industry, the kneecap insignia to be given to Atatürk, etc. It is important to discuss and explain these issues one by one in order to shed light on the extremely serious disagreements between the two statesmen. 

The Elevator Incident

As an illustration, I would like to talk about the elevator incident between Atatürk and İnönü. 

Kılıç Ali, one of Atatürk's close friends, describes the elevator incident in his memoirs. On May 5, 1938, during Atatürk's last days in Ankara, Atatürk, together with Salih Bozok, went for a walk in Ankara. They first went to Atatürk Forest Farm and then to the dam. At Atatürk's request, they went to the Anatolian Club to play bridge.

In the evening, as they were entering the Anadolu Club, Atatürk saw İsmet Paşaş coming out of the club and offered to play bridge with him, which was their second meeting after he had been removed as prime minister. That evening, Atatürk pays close attention to İnönü at the door of the Anatolian Club. They walk towards the elevator together. Atatürk and İnönü get into the elevator together. Since the elevator is small, those with them head for the stairs. 

Kılıç Ali welcomes them upstairs. Kılıç Ali notices that Atatürk's face is a mess as he comes out of the elevator. Inönü's color is also gone. Atatürk, who has been abstinent for a while and has not been drinking, says, "Where is the table, didn't you say, there will be drinking?" 

Atatürk tells Salih Bozok to call the others and Celal Bey (Bayar). İsmet Pasha turns to Bozdağ and says, "Why are you standing there, why don't you sit down? İsmet Bozdağ sits on the edge of the chair, looking at İsmet Pasha. 

Fuat Bulca, Recep Peker, Nuri Conker, Cevat Abbas settle down at the table. Atatürk gestures to İsmet Paşaş, who is standing and hesitating whether to sit or not, and says, "Please sit here. 

Let's leave it to İsmet Bozdağ's narration: 

Finally, the balloon, inflated with poisonous air, burst with Atatürk's voice: get up, Ismet, speak. Repeat here what you told me in the elevator! Suddenly all eyes turned to Ismet Pasha. Ismet Pasha wiped his lips lightly with the napkin in his hand and hesitated between getting up or not. Finally he got up. It was obvious that he was excited. In a hoarse voice, he began to speak, slurring his words: Forgive me, Atatürk. I have been misunderstood. I have written and said everywhere that you made me İsmet Pasha. I owe everything I am, both material and spiritual, to you. I am proud to say this. My fortune is to find a Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. You ordered it, what I have done is beyond my power.

İsmet Pasha took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his sweating forehead. Everything seemed to freeze, not a breath was heard at the table. "The most pleasing thing for the country and of course for your friends is your health. We are random people. Whether we live a little or a lot does not affect the fate of the country. But you are the people of centuries. If you live one day longer, the Turkish nation can overcome a century of progress. This is what I want to tell you."

Atatürk spoke from under his frown: "That is not the point, Ismet, not that! What you want to tell me is that when I was the prime minister, I was handling everything without bringing it to you and you were enjoying yourself. You threw me out, the current prime minister brings everything to you and you have to work. And now you've finally had a glass of booze. Isn't that right, İsmet Pasha? İsmet Pasha raised his hands saying no. But Atatürk continued: This is what you want to tell me! Which job did you deserve without my support? Shall I count them one by one now? Huh, do you want?"

I had been with Atatürk all these years. I had seen his anger, I had seen his reprimands, but I had never seen him rise above all measures and roar like an angry lion.

"Let me only tell you this. I wanted to facilitate you as a comfortable prime minister. You had some competence and you were doing things on a level. I didn't want what I thought to be done, I wanted to create a country as I thought, and that's what I expected from you."

I say stay with respect and love.

Reference:

Bozdağ, İ. (2009). The Unending State Struggle. Truva Publications, 2nd Edition. Istanbul