Turks in Jordan mark anniversary of Ataturk's demise

The Turkish Embassy in Jordan on Saturday marked the 80th death anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey.

Turkish Ambassador in Amman Murat Karagoz led the diplomatic mission and other Turkish representatives in the commemoration.

Ataturk was born in 1881 in Thessaloniki, in what was then the Ottoman Empire. He made his mark in the military in 1915 when he led forces to repel the allied invasion in Canakkale, known in the West as the Dardanelles.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the World War I, Ataturk led the Turkish War of Independence, which defeated European powers. When he became president, Ataturk transformed the former empire into a modern and secular country.

Ataturk passed away in Istanbul on Nov. 10, 1938, at the age of 57.