Depends the source. One can hear Albanian, Yoruk Turk or even Jewish. (doenmeh) His parents were behaviourally different supposably, during his childhood in Salonika. His mother was most probably a Yoruk Turk, or Albanian or something a rather. His father i think may have had the surname 'Riza' which certainly is a suspicious one. Gathering from what i have read, it is a possibility his father had crypto-Jewish roots. Few sources alledge Ataturk could recite a few Jewish verses and that he claimed descent for Zabtei Vey, a nutter who basically claimed to be a messiah and lead on some followers into Islam after being forced to convert or be killed. Ofcourse he claimed it was gods will. His father was also the one who suggested he should make the transition from a certain school to a more cosmopolitan/Jewish school, which boasted a more western practice. It is likely in any case he grew up around many Jews and had a soft spot for them, atleast so it seems, but its hard to trust what you read regarding him.