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ANKARA, TÜRKİYE - OCT. 28: Turkish national athlete Sahika Ercumen marked the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye on Wednesday, Oct. 28, by unfurling the Turkish national flag during a commemorative dive off the country's southern Mediterranean coast.
Submerged beneath the sea, Ercümen displayed the red flag bearing its white crescent and star to honor Republic Day and underscore the founding values of the nation and its spirit of independence.
In a message, Ercümen expressed deep pride in representing her nation through maritime athletics and carrying the flag into the sea's depths on the national holiday.
“As athletes representing this country, wherever we are in the world — in the air, on land or at sea — we will continue to carry our flag with pride and uphold the values of our republic,” Ercümen said.
The athlete also paid tribute to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, commemorating the fallen soldiers and veterans who fought for the nation's independence with respect and gratitude.
The official proclamation of the Turkish Republic by founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk took place on Oct. 29, 1923, when the name of the nation and its status as a republic was declared.