Türkiye celebrates 103rd Republic Day

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye on Thursday marks the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the republic with official ceremonies, cultural events and public celebrations across the country, with the capital Ankara at the center of commemorations.

Turkish flags are hoisted at homes, workplaces, and public spaces.

Municipalities will host concerts, cultural programs and public events, while families gather in parks, squares, and other public spaces to mark the occasion.

In major cities, celebrations are set to continue through parades and fireworks later in the evening.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye.

On Oct. 29, 1923, Ataturk proclaimed the Republic of Türkiye, formally establishing a new political order founded on national sovereignty.

The Turkish Grand National Assembly elected him as the country's first president.

The republic emerged from the Turkish War of Independence, a struggle led by Ataturk and the national movement against foreign occupation and attempts to partition Anatolia after World War I.

The victory of the national movement paved the way for the establishment of an independent state in which political legitimacy rested with the nation rather than a hereditary ruler.

The proclamation of the republic was followed by a far-reaching program of reforms aimed at transforming Türkiye's political, legal, educational and social institutions.

Under Ataturk's leadership, the country modernized legal and educational systems, expanded public education, and adopted reforms intended to build a modern nation-state.

On this day, the Turkish nation commemorates the triumph of national independence, the principle that sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation, and the commitment to a republic whose institutions are grounded in reason and citizenship.