It is an undisputed reality that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, was a genius with a sophisticated personality. Atatürk, who said “We have to carry our national culture to the level of contemporary civilizations”, aimed actually at achieving such a goal by protecting our original culture and civilization as well. According to Atatürk, a nation is a union of people belonging to same cultural origins. Common cultural heritage is a necessary and unchanged condition of being a nation. That was why Atatürk regarded history, language and fine arts as important components of a nation. Atatürk was an artist as well as a State-founder. As he was establishing new State organizations for New Turkish Republic, he also brought to Turkish art a new spirit and esence to help it flourish and improve in contemporary standards. By saying “A nation not investing in fine arts is destined to live a devastation”, he eloquently marked the vitality of the art in the future of nations. In this context, his many sayings should be seen as guiding principles of modern world of arts.

Key words: Ataturk, Culture, Fine arts, Contemporary arts, Turkish arts