How Was Mustafa Kemal's First “Smiling” Photo Taken in the Press?

The War of Independence is about to reach its final stage. The regular army is making its final preparations by identifying the deficiencies in the fronts. The slightest mistake carries the risk of ending a whole struggle for independence. And all the soldiers of the struggles feel it to their bones.

Mustafa Kemal went to Kocaeli on 17 June 1922 while he was managing the preparations for the coup against the enemy forces. This event is under the scrutiny of the media. Many journalists are stationed in Geyve to announce Atatürk's inspections in the region.

prof. Dr. Metin Özata, in his book titled “Atatürk and Physicians ”, published before the 14 March Medicine Day , tells us the story of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's first smile at the front, as follows;

“On 13-23 June 1922, Mustafa Kemal Pasha came to the Kocaeli region to prepare for the operation against the Greek occupation forces. He was accompanied by many journalists during his visit. Journalists took notes on Pasha's statements, and photographs were taken during the inspection. Medical student taking pictures of Pasha. Muhterem Bey thought that the photographs of Mustafa Kemal Pasha published in the newspapers were taken with harsh expressions. However, Mustafa Kemal Pasha had a smiling face and a cheerful disposition. A photo of him smiling had never been published in the newspapers. While Mustafa Kemal Pasha was in Geyve, he paused the inspection for a short time in the Karaçam region. On one side of the pasha was the Kocaeli Front Commander Halit Pasha, and on the other, Cevat Abbas Gürer. Muhterem Bey addressed Mustafa Kemal Pasha at that time.'Pasha, will you allow me to take your picture? ' said. Mustafa Kemal Pasha said, 'Here you go,' he said. Muhterem Bey later said, “Pasha, you pose with harsh expressions in all your photographs. Can you smile in this photo if I ask you?' asked. Those who were with the pasha saw the offer of the young medic as an imperfection. Halit Pasha, known for his irritability, immediately frowned. A sudden icy breeze blew. Everyone was looking at Mustafa Kemal Pasha and wondering how he would respond to this non-serious offer. However, this offer was very pleasing to Mustafa Kemal Pasha. Pasha smiled and said, 'The boy is telling the truth. Let's fulfill the wish of this young man from medical school.'said. Moreover, he wanted himself to appear in this photograph proposed by Muhterem Bey and invited the young medical student to his side. The photo was taken by Mr. Etem. This was the smiling photograph of Mustafa Kemal Pasha taken at the front during the War of Independence and published for the first time in the press. Mustafa Kemal Pasha liked the photo very much. So much so that he signed this photograph and gave it to Muhterem Bey as a gift.”
 
Atatürk accepted the offer to pose while smiling at the front, on the condition that he sit next to the medical officer Muhterem Bey (Muhterem Gökmen on the left).

Mustafa Kemal Pasha in Karaçam, Kocaeli Group Command Headquarters, Geyve Strait. (Muhterem Gökmen at right) (June 17, 19 22)

Dr. Muhterem Gokmen *

^* _ Reverend Gokmen
Dr. Muhterem Gökmen was born in Istanbul in 1904. After graduating from Istanbul Darülfünun Faculty of Medicine in 1924, he completed his radiology residency in Germany in 1930. Becoming an associate professor in 1933, Dr. Muhterem Gökmen served as a founding member of the Radiology Chair at Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. He became a professor in 1940. He worked as the director of the Radiology Institute and Clinic between 1948-1963. In 1963, he became the chair of radiodiagnostics. Dr. Reverend Gokmen, Prof. Dr. He also worked on radiotherapy alongside Dessauer. He developed the rotation method in order to give more rays in the deep (1936). He made a small device for "head fixation and irradiation" to be used in the treatment of very common scalp diseases and patented it in his own name in Berlin. He developed the "x-ray screen photography" method for lung examination for the first time in Turkey and used it in a device he had made at the institute. It enabled the purchase of the first cobalt therapy device in Turkey. He was the president of the Turkish Radiology Society in the 1954-1955 period. 
He retired from the age limit in 1973 and died on 03.03.1997. (Prof. Dr. METİN ÖZATA Journal of the Whole World, June 2015)

Source: Prof. Dr. Metin Özata, Atatürk ve Hekimler, 2015, Demkar Yayınevi,