Investigation launched into tombstone with ‘Atatürk’ name in Turkey’s Çorum

ÇORUM

An investigation has been launched into a case in which the relatives of a man named Mustafa Kemal Aydoğdu, who died 46 years ago, changed the deceased’s name to “Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Aydoğdu” on his tombstone. 

The incident occurred in the Central Anatolian province of Çorum’s Altınbaş village.
 
The relatives of Aydoğdu reportedly engraved the name “Atatürk” on the tombstone two years ago, but the incident has only been uncovered recently after a villager who was in the village cemetery to visit his loved ones’ graves saw the tombstone.
 
The villager subsequently notified the incident to gendarmerie officials, who then launched an investigation into the case. 

One of the deceased’s sons, Satılmış Aydoğdu, said in his testimony that the change had been undertaken by two of his siblings, adding that he was also recently notified of the situation and did not give his consent to his siblings for the change.  

The officials then had the name “Atatürk” erased off the tombstone. 

The name of the founder of modern Turkey, “Atatürk,” is not allowed to be given to anyone or for any purpose in Turkey as it is legally forbidden.