Atatürk, founder of modern Türkiye, dies at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Republic of Türkiye, died on 10 November 1938 at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul. He was 57. He had been in poor health for some time, and his illness, cirrhosis of the liver, had worsened through that year.

Atatürk had led the Turkish national struggle after the First World War and proclaimed the republic in 1923. As president he oversaw sweeping reforms in law, education, language, dress and the status of women, reshaping the country along secular and national lines. He held the presidency until his death.

His death was mourned widely in Türkiye, and foreign governments sent condolences and delegations. His coffin lay in state in Istanbul before being taken to Ankara, where he was later laid to rest in a temporary tomb. In 1953 his remains were moved to the Anıtkabir, the mausoleum built for him in the capital. İsmet İnönü, his long-serving prime minister, succeeded him as president. The anniversary is still marked every year in Türkiye, with a moment of silence at 09:05, the time of his death.