Atatürk, Kemal

Introduction

Atatürk, Kemal kĕmälˈ ätätürkˈ, 1881–1938, Turkish leader, founder of modern Turkey. He took the name in 1934 in place of his earlier name, Mustafa Kemal, when he ordered all Turks to adopt a surname; it is made up of the Turkish words Ata and Türk [father of the Turks].

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