Commentator disputes Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's historical claims about Atatürk

A recent statement by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP), has drawn criticism regarding his historical account of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's journey to Samsun to initiate the Turkish War of Independence.

“

I call out to that dirty mentality that made them chant those slogans, before history; The line between treason and heroism in this country is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword.

Kılıçdaroğlu claimed that Atatürk carried an "execution warrant" and was declared a "traitor" upon his arrival in Samsun. However, the article refutes this, stating that Atatürk received the "Gazi" title after the Battle of Sakarya in 1921 and the surname "Atatürk" in 1934. The author points out that Atatürk did not have an execution warrant when he went to Samsun.

“

Our great leader, our eternal chairman Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, had an execution warrant around his neck when he set out for Samsun to start the struggle for independence, and his name was declared a traitor.

Instead, the article cites a fatwa issued on April 16, 1920, by Şeyhülislam Dürrizade Abdullah Efendi, which declared Mustafa Kemal Pasha and the Kuvay-i Milliye forces as "bandits" whose execution was permissible. It also notes that the Istanbul government's death sentence against Mustafa Kemal was approved by the Sultan on May 24, 1920. The article contrasts this with a counter-fatwa by Rıfat Börekçi, supported by 153 muftis, which declared the Istanbul government's decree invalid due to the Caliph's captivity and foreign pressure.

“

Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, our founder, received the title 'Gazi' after the Battle of Sakarya on September 19, 1921, and the surname Atatürk on June 21, 1934.

The author concludes by advising Kılıçdaroğlu to choose advisors who are knowledgeable about history, directly responding to Kılıçdaroğlu's own admonition that "those who don't know history should read."

“

When Gazi Mustafa Kemal set out for Samsun, there was no execution warrant around his neck.