Was Atatürk's secularism an attempt to erase religion?
The reforms I instituted were aimed at liberating the nation and securing progress, not at eradicating faith itself. My emphasis on secularism, or 'laicism,' was intended to separate the affairs of state from religious dogma, thereby preventing religion from being used as a tool for political control or as an impediment to rational thought and scientific progress. 'The truest guide in life is science and reason,' we declared. By establishing a clear boundary between the mosque and the state, we sought to ensure that religious freedoms were protected within the private sphere, while the public sphere was governed by reason, law, and the will of the sovereign nation.
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