Atatürk and other names.

I didn't know much about Kemal Atatürk before I arrived in Turkey and I certainly need to learn more but I had no idea how important he is to the Turkish people. First of all, his image is everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Every shop has a framed picture or poster of him in it. Every town has a least one statue. At least.

Atatürk founded modern Turkey after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. He created the secular state. He transformed the Turkish written language from an arabic-based alphabet to a latin one. And he told everyone they had to have two names instead of one. He gave himself a name that means "Father of the Türks." And everyone else made one up.

So, for example, my friend Melike. Translated her full name is Queen Unsuitable. I'm not making this up. And Emre, a guy that owns an art gallery near the hostel, his last name is Potable Water. Seriously.