Turkey commemorates 76th anniversary of Atatürk’s death

ISTANBUL

Turkish jets form a heart above Anıtkabir during a ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of Atatürk's death. AA Photo

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, has been commemorated on the 76th anniversary of his passing on Nov. 10, with official and unofficial ceremonies across the country.

In a written statement issued Nov. 9 for the occasion from the Presidency, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the country remembered the founder of the Republic with mercy and respect.

“The greatest ideal of the Ghazi [Mustafa Kemal] was to protect and defend the national will and national sovereignty, as much as letting Turkey reach the level of contemporary civilizations,” Erdoğan stated, stressing that the country was continuing to “increase its democratic standards and to strengthen.”

“Particularly over the last 12 years, through the reforms we have activated with our vision of the New Turkey, we are getting closer to the objectives we have set for 2023,” he added.

The president said the “bonds between the state and the people” have never been strong as they are today.

“We will make our objective of moving ahead to the level of contemporary civilizations real on the centennial anniversary [of the foundation of the Republic],” Erdoğan said.  

In a separate statement, Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel expressed the Turkish military’s strong sentiments for Atatürk, underlining that it will continue to “protect the principles and values he gave to the Turkish state.”

“As he described the citizens of the Republic of Turkey as his ‘greatest work,’ I am of the opinion that the need to better understand this great internationally acknowledged personality, is
more urgent than ever, especially in the difficult era we are in today,” Özel stated.

He added that Atatürk had tried to create a society composed of free individuals who would look to the future based on creative and reasonable approaches, “away from zealotry and dogmas.” 

Atatürk died on Nov. 10, 1938 at the age of 58, due to health problems. Sirens are sounded at 09:05 a.m., the exact time of his death, every Nov. 10.