Turkey on Thursday marked the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, an occasion that evolved from a local celebration to a national holiday honoring the founder of the Republic of Turkey and the youth he found hope in the revival of a country from the ashes of the collapsed Ottoman Empire.

Somber and cheerful, events were held across the country to pay tribute to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who literally took the first step on the country’s path to independence after World War I when he landed in the Black Sea province of Samsun on May 19, 1919. Unlike the past two years, ceremonies were without restrictions which have been in place in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The day, which is also celebrated as Youth and Sports Day since 1938, gives an opportunity to the country’s youth to showcase their skills, in sports, arts and other activities in daylong events, which have evolved into weeklong activities in the past decades.

The first event to mark the day was held in Samsun, with a Turkish flag representing Atatürk’s iconic landing at the province’s port now adorned with statues of the late leader and his comrades in arms. A naval officer and his aides delivered the flag to a group of Boy Scouts, to remember the event.

In the capital Ankara, Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu accompanied a group of the youth on a visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk, where they laid wreaths at. Young representatives of 81 provinces and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) were among visitors, as well as young athletes and the youth from 11 countries. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was also scheduled to attend a meeting of the youth and a concert where songs about Turkey’s fight for independence would be recited.

In Istanbul, the events organized by the governorate and metropolitan municipality drew crowds throughout the day. Activities held across the city included concerts by students of music schools, stunt shows by young martial artists and 1,919 young dancers performing harmandalı, a folk dance popular in western Turkey at Sultanahmet Square. A large number of young cyclists also attended a tour of Istanbul entitled "Youth Follows The Footsteps of Ata" (a shortened form of Atatürk). The events continued throughout the day with a parade on the city’s Asian side scheduled for late Thursday. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) marked the day with the opening of an athletics track on the Asian side and a series of sports events. Throughout the day, concerts by popular singers were held in the city, along with activities catering to the youth. The municipality also offered free mass transit rides for all Istanbulites throughout the day.

In the western province of Izmir, events started out early in the morning and were set to continue late into the night, with a nighttime parade. Along with concerts by popular singers, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality opened up a venue for young amateur musicians for concerts. The city also hosted an international youth and dance festival.

Similar events were held across 81 provinces.

Issuing a message on the occasion, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said May 19, "gifted to the Turkish youth" by Atatürk, was the date when our nation’s love for resolution and independence was proclaimed to the world and when the spirit of resistance inside ourselves was revived."

"The Turkish nation stood up to the imperialist occupying forces with the spirit of unity and solidarity on May 19, 1919, displayed legendary gallantry by putting up an all-out struggle for the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, and achieved a blessed victory in the end. And today we walk to the future with the strength and spirit of the independence we have drawn from our history and put up a fierce fight against those seeking to prevent Turkey’s development and growth," Erdoğan said.

"While constantly keeping alive our enthusiasm for building the great and strong Turkey, we support in every area our youth that we see as our most important means to that end, and offer them opportunities. Obviously, as our country further develops, more means and opportunities will be available for our youth. We work with all our strength for our youth who have national consciousness and character, and trust in the Turkish youth’s potential. The vision and effort displayed by the Turkish youth in the face of national, regional and global developments conduce to the revival of our hopes for the future of our country. We are proud to see our youth at the foremost of every area, from education to sports, security to politics, and trade to the arts," he added.

"We will continue to march with our youth in order to achieve our country’s goals for 2023 and vision for 2053," Erdoğan said, referring to the centenary of the Republic of Turkey and the 600th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, another turning point in country’s history.

The holiday was approved as a national holiday by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1938, shortly before the leader’s death, after years of annual celebrations on a local level, particularly in Samsun, to honor his landmark arrival.

Atatürk, then simply known as Mustafa Kemal Pasha, was an Ottoman officer when he arrived in the Black Sea port from Istanbul, which was under the occupation of British forces, through a trip aboard a small ship. Few people were aware of his true intention when he set out on his journey under the guise of the purpose of "inspecting troops" in Anatolia.

After months of preparations in Istanbul, where he arrived in 1918 after years spent on World War I fronts, and secret meetings, Mustafa Kemal, who ultimately aimed to end the post-war occupation of Turkey, found an opportunity to mobilize the public after talks with the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed VI Vahdettin. His primary mission authorized by the sultan was to ensure law and order and inspect troops amid apparent unrest between the local Greek and Turkish community in Samsun.

Under constant surveillance of the British, Mustafa Kemal stayed in Samsun for six days, before visiting the Havza district, famous for its springs. The pasha had faked an illness and a visit to springs to cure himself not to draw the attention of the occupying forces but in reality, he was organizing secret meetings in the district. Havza was the first place where he founded a society to organize resistance against the occupation. Declaration of Havza agreed upon his meetings with like-minded members of the resistance, which is now recognized as the first concrete move to pave the way for a future war of independence. He sent telegrams to troops, and locals across the country to raise awareness against the occupation and organize rallies. His calls found a response and soon, several top Ottoman generals and troops joined Mustafa Kemal’s cause, as he started a tour of the country, convening congresses, before settling in Ankara, the future capital of the Republic of Turkey.