Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and the Modernization of Turkey

Mustafa Kemal (aka Ataturk) modernized Turkey and made it more secular in many ways. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the founder of the Turkish Republic and also became it's first President. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk wanted to modernized Turkey. To achieve his goal of transforming Turkey into a modern nation, he ushered a few reforms. One Reform was to separate the laws of Islam from the laws of the nation. A second Reform was abolished religious courts and created a new legal system based on European laws. A three Reform was to grant women the right to vote and to hold public office. The Forth and finally Reform was to launch government- funded programs to industrialize Turkey and to spur economic growth. The definition of secular "is of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred."