Woman widely praised for cleaning Atatürk poster

ESKİŞEHİR – Doğan News Agency

A woman cleaning a billboard featuring Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s photo in the northwestern province of Eskişehir became one of the most talked about topics on social media on Oct. 29, the Turkish Republic Day.

A video of the woman, in which she is seen cleaning the poster bearing the image of the founder of modern Turkey on a sidewalk with a cloth, was circulated on social media.

The video showing the woman’s sympathy and respect for Atatürk touched many social media users, with some attributing her behavior as the reason why the “republic will persist.”

Meanwhile, the Eskişehir Municipality shared the video on their Twitter page, saying “Thank you. We thank your heart, your hands. With such sensitivity, the republic will endure.”

The official proclamation of the Republic of Turkey by the newly emerged parliament in 1923 was celebrated on its 94th anniversary on Oct. 29, with official ceremonies and public gatherings around the country.

Official celebrations started at Atatürk’s mausoleum Anıtkabir in the early hours of Oct. 29, as top state officials and protocol members gathered to mark Republic Day in Ankara.

The event saw the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, other state officials and protocol members.