ISTANBUL, Nov 11 (NNN-TRT) – Commemorations were held in Türkiye, yesterday, to mark the 87th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye.
Sirens wailed, ships whistled, traffic stopped, and people observed a moment of silence, to honour the late Turkish leader, at 9:05 a.m. local time (0605 GMT), the exact time of his passing.
In Istanbul, thousands gathered at Dolmabahce Palace and queued to visit the room where Ataturk spent his final moments, and laid carnations at his bed in tribute. In front of the palace, divers emerged from the Bosporus waters carrying a large Turkish flag and a portrait of Ataturk, accompanied by boats sounding sirens.
On the Asian side of the city, people formed a human chain along the Kadikoy coastline, to pay tribute to the late Turkish leader.
In the national capital, Ankara, government officials, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, laid wreaths at Ataturk’s mausoleum and observed a moment of silence in his honour.
National songs associated with Ataturk were played in public squares, and commemorative marches were held across the country to honour his legacy.
Ataturk declared the republic in 1923, ending rule of the Ottoman Empire, after the Independence War. He served as Türkiye’s first president until 1938, when he died at the age of 57. He led a series of reforms that modernised Türkiye’s political, social and cultural life.– NNN-TRT
