M. Kemal Ataturk: "Communism is the greatest foe of the Turkish world. It must be crushed wherever it is seen." (Faruk Şükrü Yersel, Eskişehir Newspaper, 1926)
In order to be able to properly bear Ataturk's legacy, the form that “true Kemalism” should take must be properly understood. Every Turk has a duty and a responsibility to grasp this important truth. Above all, it should be well understood that Ataturk, a convinced Turkish nationalist and a sincere Muslim, opposed nonsense such as communism and materialism at every stage of the national struggle.
Ataturk warned the nation against ideologies that would damage peace and order, and bring disaster to the country, and many times he expressed the importance of striving against and keeping one’s distance from them. "In raising our children and young people, the struggle against all elements that conflict with the truth and union must be encouraged," he said. He also noted the need for raising the consciousness of the young for this struggle.
In Ataturk's view, communism and fascism are ideologies that are highly dangerous to the nation and that fall within this description. Ataturk clearly and absolutely opposed Darwinism and communism, - based on dialectical materialism - and stressed that this dangerous ideology should be crushed wherever it is seen. The Great Leader well understood the true nature of both ideologies and strove to make our people aware of this, too. The statements below are important in terms of revealing his broad view:
"The nations of the world have from time to time been shamelessly shared out by imperialist countries, and we must not be so heedless as to forget that undeveloped countries have been eliminated from history in the course of that division. The present state of the world is not at all bright. Every country is striving to have its young people adopt a different ideology.
Italy has buckled down to the ideology of fascism. Mussolini, the dictator of that country, boasts that his country lives on the bayonets of 8 million young people...
The Nazism that Hitler is creating and developing in Germany is another very dangerous ideology. Hitler is a racist. Note that I am saying he is a racist, not a nationalist. He is a lunatic who regards the German race as the most superior race. He has lined German youth up behind him and indoctrinated them with this ideal...
The game being played in Moscow is something else. Stalin is trying to indoctrinate not just his own young people, but the young people of the world, with the ideology of communism. It is clear how easily communist propaganda has mustered support in countries in which many poor and ignorant people live..." (A Lifetime in Ataturk’s Footsteps, p.155)
These ideologies left tens of millions dead and untold thousands of suffering people behind them and brought tragedy and destruction to all the countries they entered. These are ideologies that gnaw away and exploit countries from the inside, and for true patriots to strive against them on the intellectual level is an important legacy from Ataturk.
Ataturk wisely foresaw that communism would cause an uprising in the East and insisted on the need for precautionary measures to be taken.
In an address in 1932, Ataturk said that he regarded communism as a major threat and danger:
"Today a new power has appeared in eastern Europe that threatens all civilizations and even all mankind. This terrifying force, which is mobilizing all its material and psychological means for the sake of a world revolution, and which is still unknown to Europeans and Americans, is employing new political methods and knows how to take the most perfect advantage of even the most minor errors of its rivals. The main victor of a war that would break out in Europe will be neither Great Britain, nor France nor Germany. It will be Bolshevism (communism). We Turks, Russia’s close neighbor and a nation that has fought against them many times, are closely monitoring events there and we see the danger in all clarity. The Bolsheviks, who so perfectly exploit the mental structures of the awakening Eastern nations, who stoke their national pride and know how to incite hatred, have become the major force that threatens not only Europe but also Asia." (Ataturk's Speeches and Addresses, Vol. 3, p. 94-95)
Ataturk expressed his concerns over the threat of communism in a letter he wrote to Ali Fuat Cebesoy: "This movement (communism) is entering our country with various aims from inside and outside, and if intelligent precautionary measures are not taken, it seems inevitable that situations damaging to the peace and unity the nation so needs, will inevitably ensue..." (31 October 1920, SD, IV, s. 360-361)
Ataturk, a True Believer
The way that some sinister forces describe Ataturk as opposed to religion is a lie and a slander intended to make their own ideologies adopted. It is clear, from Ataturk’s own words and from the testimony of people who were closely acquainted with him, that Ataturk was a leader who sincerely believed in Islam. The following words alone are enough to reveal Ataturk’s point of view.
"The Turkish nation must be more devout. I wish to say they must be devout in all simplicity. I believe in my religion in the same way I believe in the actual truth. It [my religion] does not include anything that would violate consciousness and impede progress."
"Our nation has two powerful virtues; religion and language. No force has ever been, and will never be able to, remove these virtues from the heart and conscience of the nation."
"They (Turks) have been stubborn in not adopting the lofty and valuable truths of the true Islam. This represents one of the main reasons of our regression."
"He (The Prophet Muhammed (saas)) is the first and greatest servant of Allah. Millions of people are walking in his footsteps today. My name and yours will disappear, but his name will remain until the very end, his name is immortal."
"All the Muslims of the world must follow the path shown by the Hazrat Muhammad (saas), the final prophet of Allah, and must fully obey his commands. All Muslims must take Muhammad as a role model and act like him; they must obey the commands of Islam to the letter. Because only in that way can they be delivered and make progress."
"Love felt for Hazrat Muhammad (saas) can only be manifested by maintaining the ideas and principles he put forth."
"Allah is One, His glory is great. May the peace and love of Allah be upon you. Our Master, the Prophet (pbuh), was chosen as an envoy to tell others of the truths of the faith. The basis of this, as we all know, is the explicit verses of the Holy Qur’an. Our faith is the final faith that gives people the soul of beauty. It is the most perfect faith because our faith is completely compatible with reason, logic and the truth."
"Irreligious nations cannot survive."
