Turkey on Nov. 10 commemorated the 79th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, with official and unofficial ceremonies across the country.
An official ceremony was held in Anıtkabir, with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, as well as force commanders and other high-level state officials early in the day.
At 9.05 a.m., the moment at which Atatürk passed away in 1938 in Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, people across the country also stood in silence for two minutes, a traditional commemoration practice observed on the day.
“We are once again remembering our first president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,” Erdoğan wrote in a book of commemoration.
“We are working day and night to bring Turkey to the level of contemporary civilization. May his soul rest in peace,” he wrote.
Atatürk died on Nov. 10, 1938 at the age of 57 in Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul due to health problems. Sirens are sounded at 09:05 a.m., the exact time of his death, every Nov. 10, while flags fly at half-mast.
Thousands of people are expected to flock to Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum in the capital Ankara, throughout the day while local municipalities throughout the country also prepared day-long commemoration events.
Source: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com
