 It was released on Republic Day, 2008, to coincide with the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic.A detailed literature review was made of books written about Atatürk, national and international newspapers and diplomatic letters in preparation for the production.Dündar and his team were given special access to many national and international archives, including those at the President's Office and the General Staff, uncovering several previously unseen photos, memoirs, special letters and manuscripts of Atatürk which were used in the production.