Ataturk Quotes — Words That Endure

"Peace at home, peace in the world."

"The most truthful guide in life is science."

"Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation."

"How happy is the one who says I am a Turk!"

"The power you need to accomplish this is present in the noble blood flowing through your veins."

"Turkish youth! Your first duty is to preserve and defend Turkish independence and the Turkish Republic forever."

"War is murder unless it is proven to be absolutely necessary and vital."

"A nation that does not make its own arts, sculpture, or technical advances has no place on the path of progress."

"Our true guide in life is reason and science."

"The great ability of a nation is not only to produce great men, but to understand and appreciate them."

"I am not ordering you to attack. I am ordering you to die. In the time that passes until we die, other troops and commanders can come forward and take our places."

"There are two Mustafa Kemals: one is me, the flesh-and-blood Mustafa Kemal who will pass away. The other is you all — the Mustafa Kemal made up of you, and he will live forever."

"We shall win. But we must defeat not only our enemies on the battlefield, but also the ignorance within ourselves."

"Our women have served the nation at the cost of great hardship, contributing greatly to the survival of the nation."

"Everything we see in the world is the work of women."

"A nation which does not read will always be dependent on others."

"The Republic of Turkey will never be left without its defenders."

"I believe in the future of the Turkish youth. The Turkish youth will realize the great aspirations I hold for the country."

"Men and women are complementary to each other. If a society progresses only in one of these two, it remains weak."

"Small states that attempt to play the role of great powers have always been crushed."

"I am confident that the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish nation will live forever."

"The greatest battle is the one fought within oneself."

"To see me does not necessarily mean to understand me. To understand what I stand for — that is what matters."

"Future generations will understand the importance of what we have achieved — even if they cannot fully appreciate it today."