TURKEY

Face value � 1 new lira
Metal � copper-nickel and brass
Mintage � *** pieces
In circulation since 2005

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, 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.
He blazed across the world scene in the early 1920s as a triumphant commander who crushed the invaders of his country. Following a series of impressive victories against all odds, he led his nation to full independence. He put an end to the antiquated Ottoman dynasty whose tale had lasted more than six centuries - and created the Republic of Turkey in 1923, establishing a new government truly representative of the nation's will.
As President for 15 years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk introduced a broad range of swift and sweeping reforms - in the political, social, legal, economic, and cultural spheres - virtually unparalleled in any other country.
His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to Ataturk. Emerging nations admire him as a pioneer of national liberation. It is fitting that there should be high praise for Ataturk, who said in 1933: "I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and friendship".