Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938) was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. He is known for his success at the Battle of Gallipoli (Çanakkale) and for his leadership of the National Struggle (War of Independence).
The National Struggle, which he launched by landing at Samsun in 1919, culminated in military victory in 1922 and, in 1923, in the Treaty of Lausanne and the proclamation of the Republic. He carried out comprehensive modernizing reforms in the alphabet, education, law, and society. With the principle "Peace at home, peace in the world," he valued balance and peace in foreign policy and a strong cultural bond with the Turkic world and its history. He is regarded as one of the most influential statesmen and thinkers in Turkic history.