First, for my foreign readers who may not be familiar with the occasion, the Republic of Türkiye was officially proclaimed in Türkiye on 29 October 1923. For more details, please visit:
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/mustafa-kemal-ataturk.en.mfa
Since that day, 29 October has been joyfully celebrated each year by citizens of the Republic of Türkiye. Those who are deeply devoted to this country fully understand what the Republic stands for. They are passionately committed to Atatürk’s principles and reforms, to our constitutionally enshrined secular and democratic system, to modernity, and to progress.
This spirit was fully reflected in last week’s Republic Day celebrations. Turkish flags were displayed everywhere, and the celebrations were carried out with greater enthusiasm than ever before. I can illustrate this with two examples:
First, on the evening of 29 October, I was on a flight to Ankara for official meetings with the Foreign Minister of Costa Rica. During the flight, there was an announcement that began with “The Republic of Türkiye, founded by our Great Leader Atatürk…” and ended with “Happy Republic Day.” The applause and emotion that filled the cabin after the announcement are hard to describe in words. After the clapping died down, the flight attendant repeated the announcement in English. Even after the English version, another round of applause erupted.
The second example comes from footage filmed in Ankara (thanks to Serkan Koç and his team for the video). In the video below, you can clearly see how millions of people came together with one heart to celebrate the Republic. Everyone who loves this country and carried a Turkish flag made their way to Anıtkabir to visit Atatürk and celebrate Republic Day. Moreover, the same spirit was felt across every corner of the country.
On this occasion, I’d like to belatedly wish everyone a Happy Republic Day. Up next is 10 November, followed by 23 April and 19 May.
89 years after the founding of our Republic, we will continue to stand by the revolutions that have made us a model country admired around the world. We will honor Atatürk and the reformers who made those revolutions possible, the historic milestones in our past, and the values that have shaped us into a modern society.
Let me close with one of my favorite quotes by Atatürk, who once said, “My greatest work is the Republic of Türkiye”:
“Nations that have made it a habit to live comfortably without working, learning, or making effort are doomed—first to lose their dignity, then their freedom, and ultimately, their future.”
— M. Kemal Atatürk
Dear Atatürk, we will continue to work hard and protect our values.
Tags: special days
