Book argues Mustafa Kemal’s 1919 mission involved the Ottoman state

Mustafa Kemal landed in Samsun on May 19, 1919, as the National Struggle began.

Writer Murat Bardakçı says the mission was not simply his personal choice or a secret plan by Sultan Vahideddin.

He argues that several Ottoman government institutions were involved in sending him to Anatolia.

The debate matters because May 19 has become an important symbol in Turkey’s history.