Prominent Greek historian Thanos Veremis typically characterizes the father of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Ali Rıza Efendi, as being of Albanian origin. In his academic writings on Turkish-Greek history, Veremis acknowledges the prevailing view among Balkan scholars that the family’s roots trace back to the Albanian migrants who settled in the Ottoman Empire’s Rumelia region (specifically the area around the village of Kodžadžik in modern-day North Macedonia).

There is a memorial house there associated with the family. Some authors (e.g., Andrew Mango, Ernst Jäckh, Lou Giaffo) suggest Ali Rıza may have been of local Albanain descent due to the region’s demographics and Atatürk’s physical appearance (which some said resembled local Albanians/Slavs).

The publicatins “Albania. MaryLee Knowlton” from 2005 ” and “Albania Basic Handbook” from 1943 both state that Ataturks parents were Albanians.

Sources

Historical Dictionary of Albania. Robert Elsie. 2010

Albania. MaryLee Knowlton. 2005

Albania Basic Handbook. 1943. Western Central District Office; Ministry of Economic Warfare. Indiana University. p.15