| Author (Person) | Dombey, Daniel, Güler, Funja |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Financial Times |
| Series Details | 26.11.11 |
| Publication Date | 26/11/2011 |
| Content Type | News |
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Some nine decades after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk fought off foreign powers, unified Turkey and established a secular republic in the wake of the Ottoman Empire, his face still gazes down from photographs in just about every shop and office in the land. But despite such acts of near-universal reverence for its national hero, Turkey has unleashed a fierce debate about the early years of the republic. Taboos about the flaws – and crimes – of Ataturk’s era are beginning to crumble. In November 2011 Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister, made history by apologising for the killing, in the province of Dersim in 1937 and 1938, of thousands of people at the hands of the state. For a country that has long valued strong leaders – and has proved reluctant to say sorry – it was an unprecedented step. |
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| Countries / Regions | Turkey |
