PDF Dosyası - Ankara Üniversitesi Kitaplar Veritabanı

ATATÜRK AND MODERN TURKEYVicente Guillermo ARNAUD*The life and military career of Mustafa Kemal, Atatürk since TheGrand National Assembly in its session of the 24th November 1934 gaveKemal the surname of "Atatürk", vvhich means the Ancestor or Father ofthe Turks, as vvell as his impressive achievements on the military, political,economic and social life of Turkey, has been studied thoroughly bymany authors and scholars, both Turkish and foreign. One of his moreimportant biographies vvas vvritten by an Argentine, Jorge Blanco Villalta,vvho lived in Turkey, first accompanying his father vvho vvas an ArgentineDiplomat accredited in Turkey, as Consul General of Argentina in istanbul,and aftervvards as an Argentine Diplomat himself, beginning hiscareer as a Viceconsul in istanbul and aftervvards as Argentine Ambassadorin Turkey in 1975. His book "Atatürk" vvas firstpublished in BuenosAires, in Spanish, in early 1939, and Blanco Villalta's Atatürk's biographyvvas the first in the vvorld to be published after the death, in istanbul,on November lOth, 1938, of the great reformer that vvas Atatürk.Blanco Villalta's book on Atatürk is based on documents and hispersonal experience during the five intense years he spent in Turkey from1930 to 1935. Thanks to Jorge Blanco Villalta's father's position as ConsulGeneral of Argentina in istanbul and his ovvn position as Vice-Consul,he had the privilege of attending receptions of an official nature vvhereAtatürk vvas also present. He also came across Mustafa Kemal at the ParkHotel, vvhere the latter vvas in the habit of going, and vvhere he used todine and enjoy dancing, in the hail on the lovver floor. Blanco Villaltatelis us that Atatürk vvas interested in the vvay he danced the Argetine tango,a style of music that is stili very popular tin Turkey, specially in istanbul.Blanco Villalta admired, and stili admires, the great figüre of KemalAtatürk. He vvrote "As a military leader, his genious in strategy placeshim among the most outstanding of those captains vvhom history hasraised high, and it is enough to reember him as the victor in those legen-Ambassador, Buenos Aires.281