It's nice to hear that you show interest in Ataturk but it would be more appropriate if you could edit your first post and find something more suitable instead of "dirty hellens". Hellenes and BP are surely to be wandering around, and that definition even irritates me, mate. Please let's try to keep the place informative rather than argumentative. Thanks

Well, you'll find a lot of historical info on the web about Ataturk. So I'll personally try a brief one..

Istanbul was not saved through any real battles there, it was the result of the victory of Turkish War of Independence. He was so confident of his nation that he reacted the invasion of Istanbul with this quote : "They'll leave the way they came here". So did they.

He was a great commander who proved out his military genius in Canakkale defence of WWI against Anzac, British and French forces and through whole War of Independence provided the enthusiasm and talent of his comrades and soldiers.

However he did build a new state indeed, paying off his rebellion as being sentenced to arrest by the Ottoman government, that was under the noose of the Allies. He raised a new government based on nationalistic fundamentals rather than the religious ones. Such basis is essential in the political concept of "building a state". So he can not be accused of what way he chose -something generally shown as a flaw, by people against him today.

He was a true revolutionist, what's more a succesful one. What he built today still stands on strong feet. He was the one to be writing the geometry book to be taught in schools after Turkey's foundation while he was the one showing women respect and believing in their vital and active contribution to the society, giving them the right to elect and vote in republic's very early years. Turkey owes its quasi-Western position where mullahs can not rule to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Here are some links yielding historical information about him. I tried to choose some foreign sources as long as I was able to find in order to create a clearer idea about him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atat%C3%BCrk

http://www.ataturk.com/

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/tsa/ata/halman.html

http://www.mrdowling.com/608-ataturk.html

http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-di....o/ataturk.htm

Hope that helps.