A photograph taken in Istanbul on October 29, 2023, shows the Turkish flag waving on the illuminated Maiden's Tower during celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. (Photo by Yasin Akgul / AFP)
Ankara: Turkey's government marked the 100th anniversary of the creation of the republic from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire on Sunday with a firework and drone show in Istanbul as well as a procession of 100 hundred navy ships but little else in the way of pageantry.
The rather muted celebration of the centennial, which included no gala reception, came months after a devastating earthquake that killed 50,000 people and coincided with the Israeli-Hamas war that has roiled the Middle East.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday observed the traditional protocol of laying a wreath at Ataturk’s mausoleum in the capital and shook hands with a procession of ambassadors and high-level officials offering their congratulations before traveling to Istanbul to watch the navy ships' procession.
The Turkish leader later delivered a speech at 19:23 pm in honor of the year the republic was proclaimed. He expressed his gratitude to Ataturk and others who helped create the republic but also highlighted his own achievements during his 20-year rule.
Late in the evening, he posted a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, declaring Monday a school holiday in honor of the centennial.
Many in Turkey held their own private celebrations, joined processions holding torchlights and waving Turkish flags, or took part in events organized by opposition-run municipalities.
In Istanbul, tens of thousands celebrated the anniversary at a concert organized by the city's popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. In the capital, Ankara, tens of thousands of others flocked to Ataturk's mausoleum, many dressed in the flag's red and white colors.
