Turkey marks Atatürk’s 82nd death anniversary

ANKARA

Turkey on Nov. 10 marked the 82nd death anniversary of modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, for which special events will be carried out throughout the country, especially in Ankara and Istanbul.

Life will once again come to a standstill at 9.05 a.m. when Atatürk passed away at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul on Nov. 10, 1938, at the age of 57. After 82 years from his death, Atatürk remains a revered figure whose legacy rises in value in the eyes of the new Turkish generations with each passing day.

As usual, the center of the commemorations will be Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk, where he rests in peace since 1953.

The Turkish leaders led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vice President Fuat Oktay, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli paid tribute to Atatürk at the Anıtkabir in the early morning.

“On the 82nd anniversary of his death, we commemorate the commander-in-chief of our war of independence, the founder of our republic and our first president, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with mercy,” Erdoğan wrote in the memorial book.

Atatürk and his fellow fighters emerged victorious, and created an independent and free country, he added.

The president said they will continue to work to leave a more prosperous, strong and prestigious Turkey for future generations.

They were accompanied by the leaders of other political parties, the cabinet ministers as well as senior civilian and military bureaucrats.

Following the tradition, life and daily traffic will stop at 9:05 a.m., where sirens will wail throughout the country. After the completion of the official ceremony, the Anıtkabir will be opened to welcome the citizens to commemorate and pay their respects to their eternal leader.

The commemorations in Istanbul will take place at the Dolmabahçe Palace, where Atatürk took his last breath. Thousands are expected to flock to the palace to pay tribute and decorate his bed with flowers.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, opened an exhibition in Taksim Art Gallery in which Atatürk’s photos will be displayed until May 31, 2021. The mayor also held the opening of Atatürk City Forest, which is spread on a million square meters of land.

Between Fenerbahçe and Bostancı neighborhoods of the Kadıköy district, people will form a 6.5 kilometers long chain, following coronavirus measures strictly by maintaining at least 2 meters of distance and no holding of hands.

Some divers will open Turkish flags beneath the Marmara Sea off Kadıköy.

The Muratpaşa municipality of the southern province of Antalya will broadcast a documentary about Atatürk on a big screen at the main square.

A children’s play, named “We are going to Anıtkabir,” will be staged in the Silivri district of Istanbul and will be broadcasted online at the municipality’s social media channels. The motto of the play is “Nov. 10 is not a day of mourning, it is a day of promise.”