Turkey commemorates 81st anniversary of Atatürk's death

Turkey commemorates the 81st death anniversary of the country's founding father, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with life across the country coming to a standstill on the exact hour of his passing. Millions of people paid their respects to Atatürk on 9:05 a.m., as sirens blared throughout Turkey.

Duvar English

Turkey has commemorated the 81st death anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of the country, on Nov. 10.

Atatürk (C) is seen during a meeting in Ankara in this photo shared by general staff.

The country came to a standstill at 9:05 a.m., the time of Atatürk's death, as sirens blared across the country.

A human chain was formed in Istanbul's Kadıköy, with thousands paying their respects to the country's founder.

Thousands of people hold hands and stand still to form a human chain to pay their respects to Atatürk.

People also visited Dolmabahçe Palace, where Atatürk died at the age of 57 on Nov. 10, 1938.

Thousands of people started flocking to Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum in the capital Ankara, from early hours of the day.

An official ceremony was also held in Anıtkabir, with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener and a number of state officials, as well as the force commanders.

Another ceremony was held in the Presidential Palace.

Atatürk was born in 1881 in Thessaloniki, in what was then the Ottoman Empire.

He made his mark in the military in 1915 when he led forces to repel the allied invasion in Çanakkale, known in the West as the Dardanelles.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, Atatürk led the Turkish War of Independence, defeating European powers.

When he became president, Atatürk transformed the former empire into a modern and secular country.