On the date of 23rd April 1920, the Assembly officially started up and Mustafa Kemal was assigned as the first president of this Assembly. The resistance ended with a great success together with the people from all around Anatolia after a struggle and fight of 4 years. On 29th October 1923, Ataturk declared the republic on behalf of the National Assembly, and he was elected as the first President of the Turkish Republic.

In addition to being a brilliant soldier and a leader, Mustafa Kemal is a world-wide known name for his many qualities. He valued education, science, modernisation and he is loved also for his humane characteristics. His love for kids and his touchiness towards nature are some of his outstanding features. We can exemplify his emotionality towards nature with the following recollection.

THE STORY OF 

"THE WALKING MANSION"

Year 1930…

Ataturk is on his way to his mansion which he commissioned the construction of a few years ago.  He sees the gardener is just about to cut down a large plane tree.

He intervenes: “Hey, have you ever grown such a big tree that you consider yourself authorised enough to chop it down and why?

The gardener responds: “My lord, the roots of this plane tree are damaging the foundation of the building, but the leaves are just giving trouble to the windows. We are either going to lose the mansion or chop the tree down. Hence, we should cut the tree down.”

Ataturk stops and thinks for a couple of minutes and says: “No, we are going to move the mansion away from the tree.”  

The project has been assigned to the Municipality of Istanbul. The Civil Works Director Yusuf Ziya Bey and the Chief Engineer Ali Galip Bey, along with some technicians, come to Yalova and start to work on the project. Initially, the soil around the building has been carefully dug and they get to the foundation level of the mansion. The tram rails brought from Istanbul are placed at the foundation of the building. After many calculations, the whole building is finally situated on the rails which have been already placed under the foundation.

Ataturk comes and observes these works from time to time.

The Civil Works Department of the Municipality organizes a trip to Yalova on 7th August 1930 for all architects and engineers in Istanbul. The re – location of the mansion will be done in front of with the presence of these architects and engineers upon Ataturk’s request. The re – location has been implemented in two phases. On the date of 8th August 1930, the patio part, consisting of the meeting hall surrounded by glass from 3 sides, has been moved. Then, on the date of 11th August 1930, the remaining parts find their new location. 

The operation saves the plane tree being chopped down.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, being asked why he wanted the mansion to be moved instead of cutting down just a tree, says: “This is a plane tree. It symbolises the state! A state can never fall down”

On the date of 11th June 1937, Ataturk donated the mansion to the Turkish Nation, as he did with the other properties belonging to his name. Like all the other mansions and properties, this “Walking Mansion” still serves as a museum.