Turkey marks centenary of foundation of republic

Duvar English

Turkey on Oct. 29 marked the 100th anniversary of Republic Day, signifying the official foundation of the modern secular republic. 

The Turkish War of Independence started with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's landing on the city of Samsun on the Black Sea coast in 1919.

Anatolia's liberation from occupation opened a new chapter in Turkish history as the new country was recognized under the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.

On Oct. 29, 1923, Atatürk officially declared the name of the nation and proclaimed the country's status as a republic.

A vote then took place in Turkey's parliament, the Grand National Assembly, and Atatürk was unanimously elected the first president of the Republic of Turkey. Since then, Turkey has celebrated Republic Day every year on Oct. 29.

State and government officials visit Anıtkabir, the resting place of the republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, every year on the Republic Day in a public ceremony.