Turkish Republic celebrates its 90th anniversary

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

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The celebrations of the Turkish Republic’s 90th Anniversary were kicked off today with a ceremony at the Anıtkabir mausoleum of the nation’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in the capital Ankara.
 
After President Abdullah Gül laid a star-and-crescent wreath of red and white carnations on Ataturk’s tomb, he stood with other attendees for National Anthem.
 
“As we approach our country’s centennial anniversary, our gains [and successes instill a sense of] pride in us, [as we bear witness to Turkey’s] rise in all fields and its development as a global center,” Gul’s entry in the special guestbook at Anıtkabir said.
 
The ceremony was attended by numerous other state and military officials including Parliament Speaker Cemil Çicek, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Constitutional Court President Hasim Kilic, General Staff Chief General Necdet Özel, and opposition party leaders.
 
Turkey’s Republic Day Anniversary on Oct. 29 is the commemoration of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
 
The official recognition of the Turkish Republic took place on Oct. 29, 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. On that day, the new name of the nation and its status as a Republic was declared. After the declaration and a vote in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, revolutionary statesman and founder of the Turkish Republic Ataturk was unanimously elected as the first president of the Republic of Turkey. Since then, Turkey celebrates its Republic Day every year on Oct. 29.