Turkey to remember Atatürk on the 80th anniversary of his passing

ISTANBUL

Turkey is set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey on Nov. 10, with ceremonies across the country.

The country will come to a halt and sirens will blare, cars will honk for two minutes of contemplation on that day at the exact time of his death, 9:05 a.m.

Flags will fly at half-mast across the country.

Atatürk died at the age of 57 in Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul due to health problems.

As is customary, thousands of people from all walks of life are expected to flock to Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum in the capital Ankara where an official ceremony will be held with the attendance of senior political and military figures.

Atatürk was born in 1881 in the now Greek city of Thessaloniki, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. He made his mark in the military in 1915 when he led Ottoman forces repelling the allied invasion of Çanakkale, known in the West as the Dardanelles.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, Atatürk led the Turkish War of Independence, which defeated European powers hoping to invade the crumbled empire. When he became president, Atatürk strived to transform the former empire into a modern, democratic and secular country.

Respected leader

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan released a statement on Nov. 9 to mark the commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the founder of modern-day Turkey.

“I commemorate with respect the passing of veteran Mustafa Kemal on the 80th anniversary [of his death]. Veteran Mustafa Kemal, who led the independence struggle and led this heroic war to a victory with unprecedented sacrifices the nation made and earned a respected place in world history as a successful military commander and leader,” Erdoğan said in the statement.

“We all have to do our part to make sure the Republic, which Atatürk called his greatest accomplishment, lives forever and carry it forward,” he added.