12th President Erdoğan’s message to Atatürk in full

ANKARA

Erdoğan reads out what he wrote in the journal at Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. AA photo

“Beloved Atatürk; I take over as the Republic’s 12th President and the first directly elected president. After your death, the bond between the office of the presidency and the people was weakened. I believe that the tenure I start today is a means for the people to embrace their president and for the state to embrace its nation. You started the Independence War and strived to raise Turkey to the level of modern civilization. Turkey has met with its substance and spirit again today. National sovereignty has been strengthened more than ever. On this day, I promise that I will work more than ever for our beloved nation, as I start my tenure. May God bless your soul.”