Turkish President Gül praises Atatürk for Republic Day

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

A wreath is placed at an Atatürk monument to mark Republic Day. DHA photo

President Abdullah Gül said yesterday that an unprecedented struggle by the Turkish nation, led by the modern Republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, made today’s Turkey possible.

“The Republic is the result the Turkish nation’s proud stance, love for the homeland, the will to claim its sovereignty and live independently, and the unprecedented struggle it waged, led by the Great Atatürk,” Gül said in a written statement to mark the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic.

“The historic success in the War of Independence, thanks to Atatürk’s leadership and the Parliament’s bold decisions, and the subsequent establishment of the Turkish Republic, was a far-sighted step that eternalized our 1,000-year-old sovereignty in Anatolia,” he added.

Gül said today that every Turkish citizen was the “real owner” of the Republic and were “noble and free citizens” who all have equal rights.

“The most evident characteristic of our Republic is that it is a democratic, secular and social state. These principals prove that the Turkish Republic was structured on strong fundamentals when one considers the developments in our region,” he said.

The president added that “with its democratic regime based on contemporary values, Turkey is shining like a star in its region,” while acknowledging that the country has shortcomings despite the distance it came, especially in the recent years.

“We are working to carry Turkey up the Human Development Index, and reach the standards of developed countries in the fields of democracy, culture, arts, education, health, infrastructure, science and technology, and the environment,” Gül said.