Turkey to mark 92nd Republic Day

ISTANBUL

AA photo

Turkey will mark the 92nd anniversary of the country’s founding, Republic Day, on Oct. 29, with ceremonies and celebrations across the country. 

The first state ceremony will be held at Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s mausoleum in Ankara early on Oct. 29 with the attendance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, cabinet members, political party leaders and high-ranking officers. A ceremony for citizens will also be held at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) in the Turkish capital. 

This year’s celebrations at Ankara’s AKM will possess more of a civilian feel than military overtones as in past years, with fewer military vehicles and more citizens set to march in the ceremony. 

The Presidential Symphony Orchestra and the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s State Polyphonic Chorus, featuring a total of 150 musicians, will play and sing the Turkish national anthem. 

The Turkish Air Force’s “wingsuit pilots” and other aircraft will also perform a show. 

Turkish General Staff has said in a written statement that Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, on a hill overlooking Ankara, will be open to citizens until 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 29.

Anıtkabir draws hundreds of thousands of visitors on every state day, while many people come from various provinces across the country to visit the mausoleum and pay their respects to Atatürk on these special days. 

The annual Republic March will take place on Bağdat Avenue in Istanbul’s Anatolian-side district of Kadıköy at 7 p.m., with thousands of people expected to attend. 

“Republic in peace” has been selected as the motto of the march this year. 

Another march will take place on the European side of Istanbul in Beşiktaş at 7 p.m. as part of the Republic Day celebrations. 

Some roads in Ankara and Istanbul will be closed during the day for the official celebrations of Republic Day. 

Erdoğan has issued a statement for the day, stating that Turkey would leave its problems behind by achieving its 2023 goals, a reference to the targets the Justice and Development Party (AKP) set for its economic and social development project back when Erdoğan was the head of the party and the country’s prime minister. 

As of 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had not issued a statement to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the Turkish Republic. 

On Oct. 22, Davutoğlu signed a decree declaring Oct. 30 an administrative holiday in the run-up to the Nov. 1 snap elections, thus increasing the official holiday time to five days.