From the Ashes of an Empire: The Birth of Modern Türkiye

History Untold

What happens after an Empire collapses? Who can mend the broken pieces and unite them into one nation? Once religion is ingrained into the fabric of a government, how can the two be separated? In this episode, my guest and I explore the remarkable creation of a modern, progressive nation, the Turkish Republic, in 1923, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire once stretched across North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, encircling most of the Mediterranean Sea; but the heart of the Empire always lay within the land now known as Türkiye (formerly spelled 'Turkey'). After the fall of the Empire, it was the leadership of one man, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, which kept European nations from claiming the land as their own.

Ataturk united Türkiye against all odds to create a nation and society ahead of its times. Modern freedoms were granted to all Turks, and women in particular enjoyed opportunities not yet established in other countries. One striking example is that Ataturk refused to force Turkish women to be identified by the titles "Mrs." and "Miss." because he believed that a woman's identity cannot be described by whether or not she is married. Turkish women thank you, Ataturk!