The Atatürkist Thought Association (, ADD) is a

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion. It is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened ...

organization that espouses Atatürkism, the ideas of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the

Republic of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. It was founded by Hıfzı Veldet Velidedeoğlu,

Muammer Aksoy Muammer Aksoy (1917 – January 31, 1990) was a Turkish lawyer, politician, columnist and intellectual who was assassinated. Biography Aksoy was born 1917 in İbradı, Konya vilayet (now Antalya Province) to the member of the Ottoman parliame ...

, Hüsnü A. Göksel and

Bahriye Üçok Bahriye Üçok (1919 – 6 October 1990) was a Turkish people, Turkish academic of theology, left-wing politician, writer, columnist, and women's rights activist whose assassination in 1990 remains unresolved. Early life and education Born in ...

. The association is opposed to the Islamist tenets enacted by

Ayatollah Ayatollah (, ; ; ) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy. It came into widespread usage in the 20th century. Originally used as a title bestowed by popular/clerical acclaim for a small number of the most di ...

Ruhollah Khomeini Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and wants to ensure that religion and state remain separate in Turkey. The organization is known for initiating court cases against web sites which insult Atatürk, or with links to sites that insult Atatürk. It is credited with organising the 2007 Republic Protests. People associated with ADD include

mayor of Istanbul The mayor of Istanbul is the head of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The mayor is elected popularly every five years. Nuri Aslan has served as interim mayor of Istanbul since 26 March 2025. This article covers the Ottoman Empire to the ...

Ekrem İmamoğlu Ekrem İmamoğlu (born 4 June 1970) is a Turkish politician and businessman who has served as the 32nd Mayor of Istanbul since 2019. He is currently suspended from office temporarily. He is the Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate for the ...

, former President of the

Constitutional Court of Turkey The Constitutional Court of Turkey ( Turkish: ''Anayasa Mahkemesi'', sometimes abbreviated as ''AYM'') is the highest legal body for constitutional review in Turkey. It "examines the constitutionality, in respect of both form and substance, of law ...

Yekta Güngör Özden Yekta Güngör Özden (born 1932) is a Turkish people, Turkish judge, and former president of the Constitutional Court of Turkey. He was born in Niksar, a town in Tokat Province, Tokat province of Turkey, in 1932. He was the president of the Const ...

, former General Şener Eruygur (its head in 2009)

Today's Zaman ''Today's Zaman'' (Zaman is Turkish for 'time' or 'age') was an English-language daily newspaper based in Turkey. Established on 17 January 2007, it was the English-language edition of the Turkish daily '' Zaman.'' ''Today's Zaman'' included dom ...

, 13 January 2009
Atatürkist Thought Association decries Kurdish-language TV
/ref> and Tansel Çölaşan (its head since 2010).

Gallery

Image:Protect Your Republic Protest - 2 (2007-04-14).jpg ,

Anıtkabir Anıtkabir (; ) is a mausoleum complex located in the Çankaya district of Ankara, Turkey. It serves as the resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first President of the Turkish Republic. Designed by architects Emin Onat and ...

Image:Protect Your Republic Protest İzmir5.JPG ,

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

meeting Image:İst. Miting.JPG, Çağlayan, Istanbul meeting Image:Republic_protest_Manisa2.jpg,

Manisa Manisa () is a city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province, lying approximately 40 km northeast of the major city of İzmir. The city forms the urban part of the districts Şehzadeler and Yunusemre, with ...

meeting

References and notes

External links

Association's official website
Organizations based in Ankara Organizations established in 1989 Church–state separation advocacy organizations 1989 establishments in Turkey Secularism in Turkey Secularist organizations Skeptic organizations in Turkey {{Turkey-org-stub

Gallery

See also

References and notes

External links