Turkey was part of the Ottoman Empire for 623 years. In 1918, immediately after World War I, Allied forces occupied Turkey. This occupation provoked the Turkish War of Independence. This led to the creation of the Turkish National Movement under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, a military commander. The goal of the Turkish National Movement was to reject the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres, which was a treaty between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies. After the war ended in 1922 the Allied forces were removed from the country. In November 1922 Turkey abolished foreign rule and became an independent country. The initial government was a form of parliament. However, it was not until October 1923 that the Republic of Türkiye was officially named the successor to the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal officially became the first president of Türkiye and introduced many reforms with the goal of a new secular republic. A new writing system based on the Latin alphabet was introduced, full rights for women were established, and the famous Turkish fez was abolished. Initially the Turkish government was a parliamentary representative democracy. Turkey has a strong tradition of secularism. The Turkish Constitution regulates legal activity and establishes the fundamental principles of government. The president's role in the republic is mostly ceremonial. Presidents are elected for terms of one or seven years through guided elections. The people who hold the real power are the Prime Minister and his council. The Prime Minister is elected by Parliament through votes. Turkey's initial form of economy was a statist system. It had a strict government-planned budget and limitations on private sector participation, foreign trade, and currency flow. Further, very strictly, Turkey carried out another coup. Some modern challenges Turkey faces today have to do with human rights. One of Turkey's many problems is the ongoing debate over torture, freedom of expression and the right to life. Turkey also faces issues related to freedom of religion, assembly and association. However, a rapidly growing problem in Turkey is racism, mainly against Armenians and Jews, leading to hate crimes that are also on the rise in Turkey. Works Cited Goff, Richard, Walter Moss, Janice Terry, Jiu-hwa Upshur, and Michael Schroeder. "The Twentieth Century and Beyond: A Global History." The twentieth century and beyond: a global history. Np, 2007. Web. Dec. 4, 2013. “BYU Harold B. Lee Library.” History of Türkiye: Primary Documents. Np, nd Web. 04 December. 2013. .