Mustafa Kemal Ataturk :: Biographies Bio Biography

FOUNDER AND THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC Atatà ¼rk was born in 1881 at the KocakasÄ ±m ward of Salonika, in a three story pink house located on Islahhane Street. His father is Ali RÄ ±za Efendi and his mother Zà ¼beyde HanÄ ±m. His paternal grandfather, HafÄ ±z Ahmed Efendi belonged to the KocacÄ ±k nomads who were settled in Macedonia during the XIV - XV th centuries. His mother Zà ¼beyde HanÄ ±m was the daughter of an Old Turkish family who had settled in the town of Langasa near Salonika. Ali RÄ ±za Efendi, who worked as militia officer, title deed clerk and lumber trader, married Zà ¼beyde HanÄ ±m in 1871. Four of the 5 siblings of Atatà ¼rk died at early ages and only one sister, Makbule (Atadan) survived, and lived until 1956. Upon reaching school age, little Mustafa started school at the neighborhood classes of HafÄ ±z Mehmet Efendi and later, with his father's choice, was transferred to Åžemsi Efendi School. He lost his father in 1888 where upon he stayed at the farm of his maternal uncle for a while and returned to Salonika to complete his studies. He registered at the Salonika Mà ¼lkiye Rà ¼Ã…Ÿtiye (secondary school) and soon transferred to the military Rà ¼Ã…Ÿtiye. While at this school, his math teacher, also named Mustafa, added "Kemal" to his name. He attended the ManastÄ ±r Military School between 1896 - 1899 and later the Military School in Ä °stanbul from which he graduated in 1902 with the rank of lieutenant. He later entered the Military Academy and graduated on January 11, 1905 with the rank of major. Between 1905 - 1907 he was stationed in Damascus with the 5th. Army. In 1907 he was promoted to the rank of "KolaÄŸasÄ ±" (senior major) and was posted with the III rd Army , which w as stationed in ManastÄ ±r. He was the Staff Officer of the "Special Troops" (Hareket Ordusu) which entered Ä °stanbul on April 19, 1909. He was sent to Paris in 1910 where he attended the Picardie manuevers. In 1911 he started to work at the General Staff Office in Ä °stanbul. Mustafa Kemal was stationed at Tobruk and Derne regions with a group of his friends during the war which started with the Italian attack on Tripoli. He won the Tobruk battle in 22 December 1911 against the Italians. On March 6, 1912 he was made the Commander of Derne. When the Balkan War started in October 1912, Mustafa Kemal joined the battle with units from Gallipoli and BolayÄ ±r.