Mustafa kemal pasha biography of abraham

[–NOVEMBER 10, ]

Founder and first president of the Turkish Republic

There is no evidence that Atatürk was in any way involved in the enactment of the World War I Armenian Genocide, either directly or indirectly.

However, there is ample evidence that, as the forceful founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, he played a decisive role in the handling of many problems arising from that genocide. Foremost among these problems was the demand of the victorious allies—France, Italy and Great Britain—to bring all Turks who were responsible for the genocide to trial, and to severely punish all who were found guilty.

This was in line with the official and public pledge the Allies had made on May 24, , when they denounced members of Turkey's leadership for crimes against humanity. The call for justice was the first time that the violation of human rights was integrally linked to the crime of genocide.

Of greater concern for Atatürk, however, was the Allied po