Atatürk 'used gastro diplomacy despite limited means in Ankara'

Although he had spent most of his life in the battlefields before becoming Turkey's first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was meticulous about the official dinners he hosted at the presidential residence, according to an expert. Despite Ankara's mediocre means in the early days of the Republic, every detail was thoroughly thought out especially for the dinners for foreign dignitaries, said Tan, adding that "Atatürk was aware of the importance of gastro diplomacy."