I am just flirting with the idea here...:).
Kemalism is somewhat far from being a religion as it is staged now. But it bears some early signs to become a "political" religion unlike no other seen so far: It has a heroic, yet not alive (thus eternal), leader. A cultural purpose. A unifying idea. It has morality. An ethical code. It passionates, therefore capable of transforming itself into a radical and extremist ideology. And it has even dress codes such as banning the scarf...But more importantly: does it have any "followers"?
Update:BTW, to those that find the question being stupid or naive: the question has been posed originally by an associate professor at the University of Istanbul and has been published both at the Hurriyet and Turkish Daily news. I found it interesting but also unexpected. Thus I put it in this section.
Update 3:YoungTurk: I am drinking my morning coffee and read the Turkish daily news. This paper is far more credible abroad than your most famous newspaper in Turkey (that no else reads except you). It is your own voice. Your own identity abroad. It is even more credible than your government abroad. Millions of people read it. TDN makes a big fuss with Kemalism turned into a religion. They speak of radical Kemalism and they start drawing the parallels between any religion and this "religious" political movement. They appear very convincing. Naturally, I got surprised. And I wanted to know more. Rather than judging a question as being stupid or smart you better tell me why you think it is stupid or smart. The message you sent out there is that the question is more "annoying" rather than stupid to you. And thus perhaps valid. But I am stupid so what do I know...
Update 5:Hurricane's answer finds an almost equal support as well as denial. That's for Young Turk to rephrase his statistics...
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Hey, it will at least be a monotheistic religion, unlike the polytheist greek religions.
EDIT: Frank, it is a stupid question independent of who poses it. Let's not get personal.
Thank God no! And I hope not. Atatürk was not a god or semi god. Personally I don't like the word Kemalism because it belittles his ideas into a dogmatic ideology.
Atatürk's ideas are not dogmatic. The goal he set for the Turkish nation was 'to reach and surpass contemporary civilization'. This goal is not stable, it keeps moving on. Therefore he gave the Turkish nation a duty to keep moving forward, never stopping. How can that be a religion or ideology!
Atatürk was the genius of the 20th Century, a great soldier, a great statesman, a scientist, a law maker....
No other leader has ever been so successful in so many different fields.
What is it that you are trying to get at? Turkey was never a totalitarian state. So there is no personality cult or any political religion.
No one looks up to Ataturk as a super-human man. Besides, Kemalism is not a substitute for any religion in Turkey, unlike let's say, Mussolini's fascism in Italy. Ataturk means Turkey. He is more than just a man, in that sense, with what he represents. It is what he represents that makes him immortal, not his super-humanly qualities. There is nothing surprising in people returning the favor to their most beloved leader and thus, showing their love for their mother country. Is that what you call "ethical code"? Or is there a philosophical holy book of ours that we consult in order to act in a moral way that I don't know of?
I do not understand why the love we have for Ataturk is such a staggeringly interesting issue for non-Turks. Or do you approach with the same "flirty" playfulness to other leaders who are adored by people? Or is it only that you were unable to find English news sites about those countries to carry out your exceptionally deep and analytical research on their leaders?
I find this question provocative. Because that's exactly what the Islamist government's follower's are saying. Seeing Atatürk as a God and Atatürkçülük as a religion is NOT understanding the founding principles of our republic.
You can argue that the laws to protect his name can be percieved as such. And I would answer that every country has certain laws to protect their flag, national identity and prominent figures.
Just look at certain enlightened countrettes in EU. When you insult Muhammed, it is free speech. When you insult Jesus, it is illegal.
Edit: Please give us links. We cannot discuss this stupidity unless we read what is said. Maybe we should discuss the "religion of democracy" next.
Also, if originally it isn't your idea, I don't see why you should defend it. That somebody working in Istanbul University wrote it doesn't mean it is sound and supportable.
Edit again: High Tech is right. Especially in the edit section. 41 kere maşallah on the main text, though.
Interesting perspective:-)
I think Ataturk symbolizes (first of all) liberty.
When i say liberty it is not only about saving a country etc...
His ideas, the things he said are still valid today. He was a very intelligent man.
He believed that people should be free in mind and express themselves. He believed in science, the importance of education and arts, equality between men and women in every area and clean environment (For me already enough reasons to follow him)
"We do not consider our principles as dogmas contained in books said to come from heaven. We derive our inspiration, not from heaven, or the unseen world, but directly from life."
Teachers are the one and only people who save nations.
Teachers: the new generation will be your devotion.
Our true mentor in life is science.
Everything we see in the world is the creative work of women.
The governments most creative and significant duty is education.
“A nation devoid of art and artists cannot have a full existence.”
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Kalimera Frank,
Ataturk never wanted to be God,
He said, 'Everyone will be died, but his Principles are living Forever ...'
A military hero who had won victory after victory against many foreign invaders, Atatürk knew the value of peace and, during his Presidency, did his utmost to secure and strengthen it throughout the world. Few of the giants of the modern times have spoken with Atatürk's eloquence on the vital need to create a world order based on peace, on the dignity of all human beings, and on the constructive interdependence of all nations. He stated, immediately after the Turkish War of Independence, that "peace is the most effective way for nations to attain prosperity and happiness." Later as he concluded treaties of friendship and created regional ententes, he affirmed: " Turks are the friends of all civilized nations." The new Turkey established cordial relations with all countries, including those powers which had tried a few years earlier to wipe the Turks off the map. She did not pursue a policy of expansionism, and never engaged in any act contrary to peaceful co-existence. Atatürk signed pacts with Greece, Rumania and Yugoslavia in the Balkans, and with Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan in the East. He maintained friendly relations with the Soviet Union, the United States, England, Germany, Italy, France, and all other states. In the early 1930s, he and the Greek Premier Venizelos initiated and signed a treaty of peace and cooperation.
In 1932, the League of Nations invited Turkey to become a member. Many of Atatürk's ideas and ideals presaged the principles enshrined in the League of Nations and the United Nations. " As clearly as I see daybreak, I have the vision of the rise of the oppressed nations to their independence... If lasting peace is sought, it is essential to adopt international measures to improve the lot of the masses. Mankind's well-being should take the place of hunger and oppression... Citizens of the world should be educated in such a way that they shall no longer feel envy, avarice and vengefulness."
In recognition of Atatürk's untiring efforts to build peace, the League of Nations paid tribute to him at his death in November 1938 as " a genius international peacemaker". In 1981, on the occasion of the Centennial of his birth, the United Nations and UNESCO honored the memory of the great Turkish Statesman who abhorred war - " Unless the life of the nation faces peril, war is a crime," - and expressed his faith in organized peace: " If war were to break out, nations would rush to join their armed forces and national resources. The swiftest and most effective measure is to establish an international organization which would prove to the aggressor that its aggression cannot pay."
His creation of modern Turkey and his contribution to the world have made Atatürk an historic figure of enduring influence.
Ref : http://www.ataturk.com/content/view/23/42/
Take Care
No, I think that's absurd.
Atatürk was our saviour and now he remains our legendary leader ( beyond of our current and actual political leaders), and as you see, we have statues and portraits of him in every place,every administration,every city,everywhere ( and also in most of people's home, we have a painting or a photography on the wall, as I do ).
But he's not our "Saviour".
No political man deserves to be considered as a God.
So, guys, let's be serious,please !
The country is secularist, and this secularism is very precious for us, but we are not going to change our religious beliefs.
PS : Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was not atheist, he was Muslim, and he just decided that religion should be outside of the government and outside of the state organization.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic and its first President, stands as a towering figure of the 20th Century. Among the great leaders of history, few have achieved so much in so short period, transformed the life of a nation as decisively, and given such profound inspiration to the world at large
His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to Atatürk. Emerging nations admire him as a pioneer of national liberation. The world honors his memory as a foremost peacemaker who upheld the principles of humanism and the vision of a united humanity. Tributes have been offered to him through the decades by such world statesmen as Lloyd George, Churchill, Roosevelt, Nehru, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, Kennedy, and countless others. A White House statement, issued on the occasion of "The Atatürk Centennial" in 1981, pays homage to him as "a great leader in times of war and peace". It is fitting that there should be high praise for Atatürk, an extraordinary leader of modern times, who said in 1933: "I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and friendship".
EDIT: bana o TD' lari veren ellerrrrr....nerdesiniz goremiyorum sizleri kitir kitir,citir citir kirilirsinnizzzzz iiinsalllllah tez gun icinde boynunuz devrilsinnnn emi :)))))))
Atatürk's ideas are actually the principals this country founded on.
The most important is we can think! We have our own ideas as well. Protecting some main principals shouldn't be performed blindly.
The world is changing,politics are changing. Of course we can't manage a country with 100 years ago's politics. As an example one of Atatürk's principals is stateism. That state was establishing companies,industrial applications etc. Because the war was just ended and people had no money. But today,it's not like that. It's wrong to have state companies.So it's changing. Turkey no more practice one of the most important principals of Atatürk,because it's no more useful.
My idea, people should understand the meaning of these and adapt them in todays politics. We can always discuss Atatürk, his ideas,things he had done. But of course,as the founder of the republic,he should receive the respect he deserves.
P.S. I don't think this is a provocative question. Frank+friends, no need for bad words.
Kemalizm has followers, millions and millions.. I am only one of them.. But it is not a religion and Ataturk is not a semiGod... He is founder of republic of Turkey.
Go and flirt with other ideas..
he modernized Turkey...so we cant speak about an islamic country, since there is the free of choice and certainly the way of dressing and many freedoms in Turkey are free, opposite to other muslim countries...