101 years ago, on October 29, 1923, the founder of the Turkish Republic and the first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, changed the destiny of Turkey. The night before, during a dinner with a colleague in the Cankaya/Ankara mansion, he declared: “Tomorrow we will declare the republic”.
That night, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, together with Prime Minister Ismet Pasha, prepared a draft law to amend certain articles of the 1921 Constitution for the survival of the country.
“The form of government of the Turkish state is a republic.” After the speeches made in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on the bill containing the provision, the declaration of the republic was adopted by the votes of all 158 deputies who attended the meeting at 8.30 p.m. The proclamation of the republic was met with shouts of “Long live the republic” and applause. Thus the beginning of a new period for Turkey is set.
The national holiday is celebrated with various initiatives throughout the country, in diplomatic missions abroad and in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara.
Free public transport on the occasion of the holiday
Metro lines in major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Izmir, as well as the Marmaray train line, which runs along the bottom of the Bosphorus and connects the European and Asian parts of Istanbul, will carry passengers for free throughout the day by presidential decree, the Minister of Communications announced and infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu.
Public transport in Istanbul will be free – buses, metrobuses, subways, city ships that transport between the two shores of the Bosphorus.
In Istanbul, public buildings, homes, streets, squares are decorated with the national flags with the star and crescent, as well as posters with the face of Atatürk.
The Bosphorus bridges will be illuminated in red lights.
No entrance fee for military museums
The military museums in Istanbul will be able to be visited without an entrance fee, according to the website of the Ministry of National Defense. These are the Aviation Museum, the Naval Museum, the Harbier Military Museum and the Florence Nightingale Military Museum.
The boats for guarding the sea borders in Alanya, Kas and Finike will also be available for citizens to visit.
Turkish warships located in the ports of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, will also be available for citizens to visit, TRT Haber informs.
Pilgrimage in front of Atatürk’s Mausoleum
The official part of the holiday will begin in the morning with a pilgrimage and wreath-laying at the Atatürk Tomb Mausoleum in the capital Ankara by a representative delegation led by President Erdogan.
And then Atatürk Tomb Mausoleum will receive visitors from all over the country. Hundreds of citizens in towns and villages, schoolchildren, students, people of various walks of life and ages express appreciation and respect for the father of the republic, Atatürk.
According to Turkish media, for the centenary of the Republic in 2023, the mausoleum was visited by 1,182,425 people from all over the country.
Military parade in Istanbul
According to the information of the Istanbul regional administration (valystvate), a military parade will take place on Vatan Boulevard in the metropolis. It is reported that part of the road arteries will be closed to motor vehicle traffic.
Dolmabahçe Palace, where Atatürk laid eyes on November 10, 1938, will also be open to visitors, who traditionally flock on that day.
Climax in the cultural programs is the film “One Republican Song” (Bir Cumhuriyet Sharkus), in which a whole constellation of popular Turkish actors from the cinema and TV series take part.
The plot tells the story of a group of young, talented and determined people who revolutionize the art of Turkey in the 1930s, inspired by the ideas of Atatürk.
The role of Atatürk is performed by Ertan Saban, who is an actor of Turkish descent from North Macedonia.
According to information on the website of the Istanbul Grand Municipality, outdoor concerts will be held in many areas of the metropolis, and in the evening there will be processions on the Princes’ Islands, in a number of areas of the metropolis, as well as a laser show on the Bosphorus.
Red flags with the star and crescent and posters with Atatürk’s face are flying on public buildings, homes, streets, squares.
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