Mustafa Kemal was serving as Military Attaché in Sofia during the First World War, which began on July 28, 1914. On August 2nd, an agreement was signed between the Ottoman Empire and Germany, and on October 29, 1914, the Ottoman Empire officially joined World War I alongside its allies, Germany and Austria. Following this entry into World War I, Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal, who was in Sofia, received a telegram from the acting Minister of War. The telegram stated, "You have been appointed commander of the 19th Division; leave for Istanbul immediately." Mustafa Kemal arrived in Istanbul and met with Enver Pasha, the acting commander-in-chief who had recently returned from the Sarıkamış operation. He inquired about which corps and army the 19th Division belonged to. The answer he received was to consult with the General Staff. Upon arriving at the General Staff, Mustafa Kemal found no one aware of the existence of such a division. After that, Liman met with Fon Sanders and learned that the party was still in its formative stages in Tekirdağ, so he travelled to Tekirdağ.
Mustafa Kemal in Tekirdag
Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal, accompanied by his adjutant and the squad under his command, Sergeant Hasan from Cerkes, arrived in Tekirdag on February 2, 1915. Mustafa Kemal and his aide spent their first night in Tekirdag at the house of Bahriyeli Salih Bey on Yunus Bey Street in the Ortacami neighborhood. During his stay in Tekirdag, the Musava coffee houses along the way to the military recruitment office were among his main haunts. The completion of the 19th Division took until February 25th. The division was established in the "Coastal Barracks," located where the Chest Diseases Hospital stands today. Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal faced many difficulties during the establishment of the 19th Division.
Because, on the one hand, the Battle of Canakkale was ongoing, and on the other hand, hundreds of martyrs and wounded soldiers were being brought to Tekirdag every day. Despite this, in the face of the difficult situation the country was in, the 57th, 72nd, and 77th regiments, consisting of 891 men gathered from Tekirdag, Malkara, Corlu, and Hayrabolu, and some from depot regiments, were formed. During this period, Mustafa Kemal stayed in the wooden house (hotel) on Corps Street, then known as Fitnat Hanim Mansion, which was owned by Salih Zeki Bey.
The last owners of the house were Munir and Huseyin Soyuer. The building, which was later demolished and rebuilt, is the Yahya Soyuer apartment building. The 19th Division, whose formation was completed on February 25th, then moved to Maydos (Eceabat) following an order. In Eceabat, Mustafa Kemal, along with the new units under his command, became the commander of an area encompassing Ece Harbor, Morto Bay, Ariburnu, Anafartalar, and the surrounding areas. Who can forget the heroism displayed by the 19th Division, established in Tekirdag, and its great and unparalleled commander Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the Battle of Canakkale? Or the martyrdom of all the 57th Regiment? We once again remember with respect and gratitude the 19th Division, which introduced Mustafa Kemal to the world, inscribed him in the pages of history, and prevented the occupation of Istanbul by the Allies.
And the Republic
Years passed, and after the collapse of a vast empire, the Republic was declared. Following the declaration of the Republic, on August 18, 1926, Gazi Mustafa Kemal, during a reception for the Tekirdag delegation in Cankaya, addressed them as follows: "Tekirdag, a lovely and beautiful part of Thrace, holds a special and sweet memory for me. During the First World War, I assumed command of the 19th Division in Tekirdag and formed the division there. The formation of this division formed the basis of my military operations in Maydos (Eceabat), Ariburnu, and Anafartalar."
"I would like to express my gratitude to you for reviving this memory by meeting with your esteemed committee, and I respectfully request that my greetings and regards be conveyed to the honorable people of Tekirdag. I will be visiting you as soon as possible."
Alphabet Reform
On the night of Thursday, August 8th to 9th, 1928, in Istanbul's Sarayburnu (Gulhane) park, after watching a public entertainment for a while, Mustafa Kemal rose and delivered his speech announcing the beginning of the Alphabet Reform. "Friends, we are adopting the new Turkish alphabet to express our beautiful language. Our beautiful, harmonious, rich language will manifest itself with the new Turkish alphabet." After these words, Gazi Mustafa Kemal wrote his feelings and thoughts on a piece of paper using the new alphabet and had Fatih Rifki Atay read it aloud. "There is one more very necessary task. The new Turkish alphabet must be learned quickly. Teach it to every citizen, woman, man, porter, boatman. Consider this a duty of patriotism and nationalism."
Meanwhile, Gazi embarks on tours throughout the country to introduce and teach the new Turkish alphabet and to gauge public opinion on the matter.
And the first stop was Tekirdag (August 23, 1928 - Thursday, 11:45 AM)
Gazi Mustafa Kemal, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior Sukru Kaya and members of parliament Salih, Fatih Rifki, Rusen Esref, Recep Zuhtu, Chief Aide-de-Camp Rusuhi, and the Director General of Maritime Transport Sadullah Bey, arrived in Tekirdag aboard the Ertugrul Yacht at 5:30 in the morning. Disembarking at 11:15, Gazi was greeted at the pier with enthusiastic cheers from the people. Boarding a car from the pier, Gazi, amidst the applause and shouts of joy from the people of Tekirdag who were waiting for him along the way, arrived at the Government House at 11:30. Mustafa Kemal rested for a while in the office of Governor Arif Hikmet Bey. During this time, a large crowd of officials and citizens filled the halls and corridors. Gazi then proceeded to the General Assembly Hall adjacent to the governor's office.
A blackboard had been placed in the center of the hall. Ataturk was to serve as the Chief Teacher to his beloved nation. His Excellency the President asked those present if they knew the new Turkish script. Voices from the crowd responded, "We have learned... We are learning." After this, Ataturk began teaching history. First, he called someone to the blackboard and asked them to write a sentence in the new script. It was Governor Arif Hikmet Bey's turn. Ataturk had the Governor write the words "Jandarma" (Gendarmerie) and "Zerdali" (Apricot), words considered difficult to spell at that time.
He invited many of the officials to the blackboard and had them write and write. He gave explanations and encouragement. During this time, he was very pleased to see a janitor reading and writing the new letters with great speed. He looked at Hamdi Efendi, the janitor who had written and read the word "Barbaros," smiled, and patted him on the back. He left the Government House at 1:30 PM.
Visit to Tekirdag Municipality
His Excellency Gazi's second visit was to the Mayor's Office. During the five to ten minutes he spent there, he again expressed his opinions on learning the new script. Meanwhile, he thanked and congratulated Ziya (Sira) Bey, who had replaced Ekrem Pekel as the Deputy Mayor, for the cleanliness and order of the office.
At the Officers' Dormitory (Military Club) in Tekirdag
Upon leaving the municipality, amidst applause and expressions of affection from the people of Tekirdag, they arrived at the Officers' Residence. Gazi had the following written to the Brigade Commander in the new script: "Written at the Officers' Residence to the Brigade Commander. I was very pleased to visit my fellow officers in Tekirdag today. Please convey this pleasure to those who are not present here. I especially request and demand that they teach the new Turkish alphabet to all their communities as soon as possible." After leaving the Officers' Residence, he walked along the narrow path, which was difficult to navigate through the crowd, stopped in front of Ekrem Pekel's pharmacy, and looked around.
On the steps of the Officers' Dormitory, he noticed the Imam of the Old Mosque and Deputy Mufti, Mevlana Mustafa (Ozeren) Efendi, with his white turban, and called him over, and they entered together. Mevlana Mustafa's son, İrfan (Ozeren), who was with him, describes the moment as follows: "The Gazi arrived. He called my father to his side amidst the crowd, and together they entered the pharmacy on the way. In the pharmacy, my father was with Muhterem Bey and Yeniceli Mehmet Efendi. We were all excited. The Gazi insisted that my father sit on a chair."
He leaned against the table there and asked for paper and a pen. I remember the following conversation taking place between Gazi and my father:
"-Teacher, do you know the new script?"
"-I don't."
"-How long did it take you to learn the old script?"
"-Quite a long time."
"-Is it easy to write without mistakes in the old script?"
"-Writing without mistakes is not very easy."
Gazi handed the teacher a pen and a large two-sheet sheet of new paper, and dictated the following verse in Arabic script: "Vettini, vezzeytuni ve turi sinine vehazel beledil emin lekat halaknel insani fi ahseni takvim summe …" While the teacher, Mevlana Mustafa, meticulously wrote the verse on the paper, trying to guess what would happen next, Gazi said:
"Teacher, I can also read what you wrote as (Valtin, valtizon), what do you think of that?" he asked.
Mevlana Mustafa
replied, "Sir, it has a superior vowel, a consonant mark, and a long vowel mark; when we add these, it is read as it originally was."
Thereupon, Gazi took his pen, drew a line under the teacher's writing, and wrote the same surah in the new Turkish alphabet, and had those around him read it aloud. Everyone, whether they knew Arabic or not, read the writing in the same way.
Gazi said:
"As you can see, Teacher, these letters have no doubled or extended vowels. And look how easily and accurately they are read. It is with this in mind, and to easily learn Western works and to easily teach our language to the whole world, that we are adopting the Latin alphabet. What do you say to this?" The teacher replied:
"Very good, sir, very good, there's nothing to say. May God grant you success." Gazi handed the paper, which had his own handwriting on it, to Mevlana Mustafa (Ozeren) Teacher:
"Keep this paper as a memento. Learn the new letters and encourage everyone to learn them, so that I may see you like this again when I come." And he went outside with those accompanying him.
Departure from Tekirdag
The great rescuer, accompanied by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Sukru Kaya, took a short tour of the city in a car waiting a short distance from the pharmacy, and arrived at the pier at 3:00 PM. Amidst expressions of affection from the people of Tekirdag, he boarded the Ertugrul Yacht. The Ertugrul Yacht departed for Istanbul at 3:25 PM.
Gazi's statement to Anadolu Agency regarding his visit to Tekirdag.
The Ertugrul Yacht, which brought Ataturk, entered the Istanbul Harbor around 8:00 PM. It arrived at Buyukada and stayed at the Yacht Club until 4:30 AM, after which it took a cruise in the Bosphorus before returning to Dolmabahce Palace. The very same day he returned from Tekirdag, Gazi Mustafa Kemal gave the following statement to the Anatolian News Agency:
"I was able to visit Tekirdag, where I was the first Division Commander, 14 years later. I am very pleased and touched by this. However, what pleases and delights me even more is this: I can say that my fellow citizens of Tekirdag have already learned to write and read with Turkish letters. I personally examined all the officials. We conducted exercises with the public in the streets and shops. I saw that those who did not know how to write or read with Arabic letters immediately became familiar with Turkish letters. To see that the great Turkish Nation is showing such high awareness, understanding, and especially urgency in this matter of writing, which it believes to be beneficial, even before there is a guide approved by the competent authorities and before the national teachers have begun their guidance activities, is truly a great, indeed a very great happiness for me."
This will undoubtedly be a source of astonishment for outsiders. Soon, with the new Turkish alphabet, I can already see, even with my eyes closed, the dazzling power and prestige that the Turkish spiritual development will achieve, reaching an international level, and this scene overwhelms me. Based solely on the spirit and feelings I sense in the people of Tekirdag today, I can definitively state that the entire Turkish nation sees and feels exactly what I see and feel in this matter. The Turkish nation, so sensitive and conscious, will undoubtedly dismantle and eliminate all the material and spiritual obstacles that have been hindering its prosperity and advancement for thousands of years. There is no longer any doubt about this. It is not difficult to imagine the future of my great nation, which has decided to cleanse its mind and conscience with such determination and resolve.
After this trip to Tekirdag, Ataturk visited several other districts within the province's borders.
Ataturk in Muratli
Muratli was a charming sub-district center in 1936, administratively bagli to Corlu district. At that time, model villages were being built in Tekirdag and its surroundings for immigrants arriving from Romania, and houses were being given to the immigrants in exchange for long-term loans. Model state farms and research stations were being established in Thrace and Tekirdag.
To see and examine all these preparations, Ataturk came to Corlu from Istanbul on June 3, 1936, accompanied by the General Inspector of Thrace, Kazim Dirik. There, he met with the Corps Commander Salih Omurtak and the Governor of Tekirdag, Hasim İscan, before going to Muratli to visit the construction site of the new immigrant village. Ataturk entered some houses and spoke with the immigrants, listening to their stories. In one of the houses he visited, there was a blind old man with a child in his arms, and his wife. The following conversation took place between Ataturk and the villagers:
Whose child is it?
Woman: "-My son's."
Ataturk: "-Where is your son?"
Woman: "-He's in the army, sir."
Ataturk: "-Where is his mother?"
Woman: "-She was ill, a medical officer came. They said he couldn't be treated here, so he took him to a hospital in Tekirdag."
Ataturk was pleased with his meetings with the villagers. Everything in the village was in order and fully modern. Meanwhile, Ataturk visited official buildings in Muratli, and the first house they entered near the station was that of Mesut Usta, the painter's brother-in-law, and two immigrant sisters. The brother-in-law was Necati Doruk. One of the sisters, Rejven, offered Ataturk coffee. The house was well-furnished for the time. Ataturk was pleased. He said, "My daughter, write this down..."
"Oh fortunate immigrant, do not forget the third of June, you were a guest in our home, you offered love to us all." The house that Ataturk visited in Muratli is now under protection and was nationalized by the Ministry of Culture in 2000. Ataturk returned to Istanbul on the same day by private train.
Ataturk and the Great Thracian Maneuvers
Ataturk's last visit to Tekirdag was for the Great Thracian Military Maneuvers. He spent the night of August 16, 1937, in Cerkezkoy. He awoke at 5:00 AM on August 17, 1937, and left the train at 6:30 AM to head to the maneuver area.
They closely followed the operations of the Red and Blue Forces. At 13:20, they departed from Cerkezkoy by train to Luleburgaz. From there, they went to the Buyukkaristiran district. After the necessary inspections, they visited the 3rd Corps Headquarters in Corlu at 18:00 on the same day. At 21:10, they departed from Corlu to Florya. This trip was their last visit to Thrace and Tekirdag.
Ataturk and Tekirdag Turkish Hearth
The homeland had been liberated, Tekirdag had been reclaimed. In a fervent sense of national pride, the Tekirdag Turkish Hearth was opened (September 1, 1923). On this occasion, the people of Tekirdag expressed their deep gratitude and appreciation to Ataturk and requested a photograph. Ataturk sent the photograph with his signature and the following message:
To the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, ANKARA 6/1312 10.09.1339
To the Presidency of the Tekfurdag Turkish Hearth,
I received your letter regarding the opening of your hearth with pleasure. I thank you for the expressions of affection and sincerity shown towards me. As you requested, a photograph has been sent. I wish you success in your endeavors aimed at the advancement of the nation and the country, sir.
President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,
Commander-in-Chief
Gazi Mustafa Kemal
