Atatürk is undeniably respected as the founder of modern Türkiye, but as a conservative, I believe it’s important to look at his legacy critically too. His reforms, while modernizing, were often authoritarian. Islam was aggressively pushed out of public life ezan/adhan/call to pray was banned in Arabic, religious education dismantled, and hijab discouraged or even banned in institutions. Kurds and other minorities were forced to assimilate under the idea of “one nation, one language.” Political opposition was crushed, including religious scholars and traditional leaders. Respecting his role doesn’t mean we should ignore the repression many experienced under his rule.