Mustafa Kemal said: "What particularly interests foreign policy is the internal organization of the state. It is necessary that foreign policy should agree with the internal organization." He eternalized this view with the famous motto: "peace at home, peace in the world." His foreign policy choices were not at random. The quest for peace in the region was an extension of the domestic needs of the newly established state, as the internal organization and stability of the young Turkish Republic depended on the application of this foreign policy. He worked to establish this vision, which was evident in his funeral.[106]
Mustafa Kemal participated in forging close ties with Turkey's former enemy, Greece, culminating in a visit to Ankara by the Greek premier Eleftherios Venizelos, in 1932. Venizelos even forwarded Atatürk's name for the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize,[108] highlighting the mutual respect between the two leaders. In 1931, Mustafa Kemal was visited by General Douglas MacArthur and the two men exchanged their views on the state of affairs in Europe. MacArthur expressed his admiration of Atatürk on many occasions and stated that he "takes great pride in being one of Atatürk's loyal friends."[109]
Since its inception by Mustafa Kemal, "Peace at Home, Peace in the World" has been the motto of the Republic of Turkey.
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