Republic Day () is a

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, federal holiday, statutory holiday, bank holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Types Civic holiday A ''civic holiday'', also k ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

commemorating the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, on 29 October 1923. The annual celebrations start at 1:00 pm on 28 October and continue for 35 hours.

Background

The holiday commemorates the events of 29 October 1923, when

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish field marshal and revolutionary statesman who was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first President of Turkey, president from 1923 until Death an ...

declared that Turkey was henceforth a republic. Turkey had '' de facto'' been a republic since 23 April 1920, the date of the establishment of the

Grand National Assembly of Turkey The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( ), usually referred to simply as the GNAT or TBMM, also referred to as , in Turkish, is the Unicameralism, unicameral Turkey, Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by ...

(''Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi''), but the official confirmation of this fact came three-and-a-half years later. On 29 October 1923, the status of the nation as a republic was declared and its official name was proclaimed to be ("the Republic of Turkey"). After that, a vote was held in the Grand National Assembly, and Atatürk was elected as the first President of the Republic of Turkey, keeping his position until his death.

Customs

Republic Day is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Similar to other autumn events, Republic Day celebrations often take place outdoors. According to Law No. 2429 of 1981, Republic Day is a national holiday, so all public institution are closed on that day. It is also observed by

Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, island of Cyprus. It is List of states with limited recognition, recognis ...

. Decorations (''e.g.'', streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red and white, the colors of the Turkish flag. Anıtkabir is visited by more than a hundred thousand people every year. Parades are often held in the morning, while concerts, and fireworks displays occur in the evening after dark at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares. Republic Day

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the 10th Anniversary March. Istanbul has the largest fireworks display in the country. It generally holds displays over the Bosporus. Other major displays are in Ankara in Ulus; and in İzmir over the Gulf of İzmir and Gündoğdu Square. The 2023 Republic Centennial featured among others the return of the yearly parade in Ankara and a fleet review of Turkish Navy assets in Istanbul.

Tenth year speech

The tenth year speech was the speech given by the President of the

Republic of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, at the celebrations of the tenth anniversary of the republic's establishment. This was a speech that not only gives an account of the

Turkish War of Independence , strength1 = May 1919: 35,000November 1920: 86,000Turkish General Staff, ''Türk İstiklal Harbinde Batı Cephesi'', Edition II, Part 2, Ankara 1999, p. 225August 1922: 271,000Celâl Erikan, Rıdvan Akın: ''Kurtuluş Savaşı tarih ...

, in other words, tells about whom, why and how the national struggle was waged, but also contains important information about what should be done and what will be done in the phase of this struggle after the establishment of the Republic.

Celebration gallery

File:10th Anniversary Speech.jpg, Mustafa Kemal's 1933 speech at the 10th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, ''left to right'': Chief of General Staff Mareşal Fevzi (Çakmak), President Gazi Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk), Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Kâzım Köprülü (Özalp), Prime Minister İsmet (İnönü) File:AnkaralıSeymenler.JPG, Men marching in traditional seymen costumes (2008) File:Turkish Republic Day 2012 09.JPG, Military parade during Republic Day celebrations in Ankara (2012) File:FatihVatanS2018-19 (1).jpg, Fatih Vatan Spor women's football players on Republic Day (2018) File:Turkish_Republic_Day_2012_08.JPG, Republic Day Parade in Ankara (2012) File:Celebration_of_Republic_in_Turkey.jpg, Celebrations at Ortaköy, Istanbul (2013)

References

External links

Thirty poems that highlight the beauty and virtues of Republic Day.
i
muallimce (Teaching Language)
Remembrance days