Prepared for publication by Ayşe Afetinan, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's Karlsbad Memoirs consists of personal notes taken by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during his time in Karlsbad (present-day Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic) in 1918. These notes include Atatürk's environmental observations, social analyses, and assessments of the European social structure of the period. The book has been published in its simplified form and presented as a historical source.

The Basic Content and Narrative Format of the Work

The book is a compilation of notes taken by Atatürk during his medical visit to Karlsbad, observing the city's social structure, the status of women, people's lifestyles, educational institutions, and local governance. Ayşe Afetinan has simplified this text, supplemented it with explanatory footnotes, and transformed it into a format open to scholarly interpretation.

Atatürk's observations contain striking insights into the disciplined, orderly, and civilized life of European society. These observations can be considered early reflections of ideas particularly aligned with the social reforms implemented in Türkiye during the Republican era.

Academic Value and Documentary Quality

Karlsbad Memoirs is considered a primary source document. Its reliance on Atatürk's direct handwritten notes enhances the work's historical reliability. Ayşe Afetinan's contribution to the text is to enhance the readability of these notes and clarify their context.

The work is not merely an observational text but also a document bearing personal reflections on early modernization thought. In this respect, it sheds light on the intellectual foundations of modern Turkish history.