Question about Atatürk's life?

Question

Mustafa Kemal married only once with Latife Uşaklıgil on January 29, 1923. The marriage lasted only 2.5 years. The circumstances of their divorce remain a closely guarded secret in Turkey. A court order banned for 25 years the publishing of his former wife's diaries and letters. When the court order expired, Latife Usaklıgil's family had demanded that the letters remain a secret.

My question:
Mustafa Kemal was not just "anyone". All his life, he struggled to modernize, reform and "awaken" Turkey. Any information concerning his personal and public life likely concerns all Turks and even scholars outside Turkey. Do these diaries remain still a secret today? If so, should documents of historical importance be kept as a secret?

Your opinion on this?

thanks!

Ipek, I really disagree with your response. In your line of thinking, would you like to have a teacher for your children if he as a father is known to torture his own ones? Instead of "having an idea" it would be better to know the facts. After all, if these diaries are personal and meaningless to the rest of us, I don't see why they should be kept in secret.

The notion of "respect" has nothing to do with science and history.

Edit 2: So Darth Vader, to you those diaries are equal to sh..ing and far...ing? How you could possibly say that when you have never read them? In fact, I am not interested in the particular way a Turk thinks but about the facts. History is not a "Turkish" delight or a reason to justify your pride. It is a series of facts. Period.

BosphorusBabe, The parallel was an extreme -but unintentional- example to show that Ipek's comment was rather an unfortunate one. In history, you cannot separate personal from public life. You really need both. And again: instead of hypothesizing here what it might or might not be the case, it would have been better to release the documents.

Johanna: How do you know whether this is a juicy gossip, a simple fact or a very crucial one? You have never read the diaries either! And the question is not really about me or my intentions. Do you really care about them? And how this will change your answer?

Joannah, calm down a bit (we are not fighting here-do we?). I don't really need to prove my intentions to you (how my intentions will change your answer?). And again, I would first read the diaries and then conclude if they are irrelevant or not. But you seem to know already!...Personally, I have no clue as to what might be in these diaries. That is why I wish these were available.

Answer 1

Private life could make a hero a common person which we do not need.We need a great leader and a hero.Atatürk is a great leader and a hero because of his achievements.
Therefore,he is a unifying symbol for us.He is the root of our new life independent from the Ottoman life style.We need him as a hero shows us a purpose.
If people do not have a big common point,they cannot be a nation.Even though they speak the same language or have the same belief,it cannot make those a nation.
Therefore,the diaries and letters should be kept as a secret.

Answer 2

Yes, this issue is related to his private life but as it is stated he was not just anybody. Nothing shoud be covered up and kept as secret. People have the right to know. Secrecy creates more suspicion and even some false stories.

Answer 3

This is private life and I think that he deserves the respect that Latife Hanim's family showed by not disclosing the documents. Their marriage was not the happiest one and Ataturk told on many occasions that he was not a very happy person, the opposite of what you would expect from a person who energized a whole nation. He has always showed a great deal of humbleness and humility and this is one of the reasons that he is respected by everyone as a great man, not an icon. It is also the biggest insult to such a man to deify him and cast his statues in stone and iron, for he has a special place in our hearts as a man of passion and courage.

Answer 4

well as far as I know, there are still some letters and diaries kept as a secret, but there are a lot of books telling the life of Latife Hanim (Latife Hanim, by Ipek Calislar) and I don't think we need to know everything about his private life, the existing information about their marriage is enough, I guess...I believe, there are more important things people should know about Ataturk, such as his principles and his revolutions...

Answer 5

I think that it should remain a secret, because for example Brits love and respect the Queen. But nobody wants to see her on BBC shi**ing and fa**ing in the toilet. And Atatürk is like a second God to Turkish people, and I really don't want to see those letter, just out of respect.

But to understand the way of thinking of a Turk, you should have been born and live in Turkey. I know that nothing can persuade you on that matter.

Answer 6

Granted there is a sustained interest on how this man evolved to be a great leader, but do you honestly think that one should delve down that deep such as a man's divorce (to the point of wanting to learn if they had plate-throwing sessions with his ex-wife) and how this affected or shaped Turkish governance or Turkish foreign policy of today?

There is a Chinese saying: Feeble minds talk about people, Good minds talk about events and Great minds talk of ideas, as this was Ataturk's case.

Which of the three minds are you? The one that loves a good and juicy gossip, the one interested what's happening in the world or the one interested in shaping the world?

Answer 7

According to the science of sociology, every individual has various number of specifications; one can be somebodies father whereas the teacher of another and neighbor to another.

That is the same case.

While Atatürk was the most important leader for us, he was also the husband of Latife Hanim.

Now, that is private life and we as a nation value it.

Please don't mix it up nowadays pop corn culture and respect it.. If she didn't want to share it with public, that means it is private..

Although due to some special circumstances, I have an idea what is stated in the diaries, I respect the families decision .

I would advise you the same.

Answer 8

I totally agree with Ipek. We already know enough about his personal life. I read Latife Hanim and Iki Ask Arasinda Ataturk ( Ataturk between two loves) and they were very good. But i'm not interested in private lives.

Answer 9

You are drawing a parallel between Ataturk and a torturer teacher. Is that intentional or unintentional? Did it ever occur to you that the lady's family may be trying to protect HER secrets, not his?

Edit:Did you notice that Krikor (I thought the name should have been Kirkor!!!?) has revealed himself as a homophobic and Jew hater? He is using the words as INSULTS for god's sakes. And if you ask him, he will say he's all about liberté, egalité and fraternité. Nice joke, isn't it?

Answer 10

No they are not secret. Letters are not the only evidence of his private life. He had many close friends. Almost everything is well known about his life. There are many movies and series not directly but indirectly presents his marriage problems, relationships and other women in his life. They are not secret.