European University of Lefke Faculty of Science and Arts organized a “Atatürk from a Italian historian point of view” themed conferece with the occasion of 79th anniversary of the Founder of Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

With the paticipation of EUL academicians, administrative personels and many students  wreath was placed in front of the Atatürk bust at 09.05 along with moment of silence and The Turkish National Anthem. Later, Chairperson of the of Department History, Assoc. Prof. İhsan Tayhani made a short speech emphasizing the meaning and the importance of the day.

After the commemoration ceremony, conference themed “Atatürk from an Italian historian point of view” took place with the opening speech of Faculty of Arts & Sciences Dean, Prof. Dr. Saddettin Yıldız at Rauf Raif Dentaş Educational Complex Conference Hall.  Academician of Faculty of Arts & Sciences Science, Turkish Language and Literature Department, Prof. Dr. Oğuz Karakartal made a speech to introduce Sapienza Universita Di Roma Academician Prof. Fabio L. Grassi.

Yıldız said that, “We wanted to see how they know Mustafa Kemal in distant countries today. What I meant by distance is the distance between the two countries, because Grassi will tell us that it is possible to approach Mustafa Kemal from distance.” and opened the conference.

Karakartal said that, “Grassi was born in Rome in 1963 and lived in Istanbul for many years. After 2005, he worked as a lecturer at Yıldız Technical University, Department of Western Literature. He was a member of Ataturk’s Principles and Revolution Research and Application Center at the same university”. Karakartal said that Grassi is writing the second edition of his book named Atatürk, which is about Mustafa Kemal’s life, and stated that this book is fruit of a 25-year intellectual adventure.

Grassi: Atatürk is a successful leader.

Prof. Fabio L. Grassi started his speech with expressing that he is honored to be at one of the esteemed universities of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the European University of Lefke.  Grassi said that Atatürk was a versatile leader and added that he was a very successful leader in the fields of “Culture, Politics, Diplomacy and War.” Grassi underlined the importance of his intellectual accumulation, statesmanship and political entity, his contribution to humanity, and his independence struggle.

Grassi stated that Ataturk was a cultural man, reading tens of thousands of books in a way he developed himself, sometimes only with the necessary parts. Grassi said that while Mussolini Fascism in Italy, Hitler Nazism in Germany was on the rise in 1930s, Atatürk was establishing Republic and Democracy, and this orientation should not be ignored.

Grassi said that “Another remarkable feature of Atatürk’s years is the crisis of 1929 World Economic Crisis, Turkey has not been affected by this crisis thanks to the economic policies implemented in Turkey by Ataturk’s guidance”.

Grassi added that in order to understand Atatürk firstly The Great Speech and the 10th Year Speech should be read well. Grassi concluded his speech by saying that he was a great leader who acted on the principle of “Think Global, Act Domestic”.