"Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to people," Atatürk once said. This principle remains firm as Türkiye marks Republic Day, the day the country formally switched to being a Republic 99 years ago. On Saturday, Türkiye will host nationwide festivities, from concerts to sports events and official ceremonies, to remember republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his most prized legacy.
Some provinces have already started festivities with concerts and other events but the main attraction will be a parade in the capital Ankara and events in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and a visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk in the capital, by the country's incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other high-ranking officials.
The anniversary, one year short of the centenary of republic, will also be marked by video mapping shows organized by the Communications Presidency on Saturday. The theme will be “Century of Türkiye,” a new series of programs, projects and targets for development that were set to be announced by President Erdoğan on Friday. Video mapping shows will be reflected on walls of landmarks, like the Galata Tower and historic Haydarpaşa train station building in Istanbul and the Presidential Symphony Orchestrate building in Ankara, as well as squares in two cities and the western province of Izmir.
The republic, which replaced the collapsed Ottoman Empire, was declared a few months after an international treaty recognized the independence of the new state and the declaration of Ankara as its capital was made. Atatürk, a veteran Ottoman officer who launched the struggle for independence when he secretly traveled to the northern province of Samsun in 1919, was the de facto leader of the new state. In the book "Nutuk" ("The Speech"), which compiled Atatürk's speeches between 1919 and 1923, the leader recounts the declaration of the republic as something that happened over the course of a dinner with leading figures of the War of Independence. "During the dinner (on Oct. 28, 1923), I told them we would declare the republic tomorrow. All my friends agreed with me and we took a break from the dinner to discuss what to do next. I never felt the need to discuss the plan to declare the republic because I never doubted that they thought differently than me," he was quoted as saying. Atatürk along with Ismet Inönü, who succeeded Atatürk as president, drafted a bill changing the 1921 constitution in which an amendment changed the State of Türkiye to the Republic of Türkiye and it was approved by Parliament the next day. Atatürk was officially declared the first president at the same session of Parliament, amid chants of "Long live Republic!" by lawmakers and a thunderous applause. Atatürk famously concluded his speech after the election as the first president of republic with remarks, "The Republic of Türkiye will always be blissful, victorious and successful." National celebrations ensued after the declaration, but the first large-scale celebrations were on Oct. 29, 1924. In 1925, Parliament approved a proposal to declare the day a national holiday.
Building upon the legacy of a semi-parliamentarian system during the last years of the Ottoman Empire, the new republic introduced a wider democracy in which Atatürk is hailed as the great statesman credited with rebuilding a devastated country with new ideals. Over the following decades, the democracy born out of republic was disrupted by multiple coup attempts. The first one was in 1960, about a decade after the first truly multiparty elections brought Democrat Party to power. The last one was in 2016 when the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) tried to topple the democratically-elected government. Yet, at the end of the day, republic's core values, most notably the sovereignty of the nation, overcame the odds.
Under Erdoğan, Türkiye declared a new set of goals under the motto “Vision 2023” in reference to the centenary of the republic. Economically, the government plans to increase national income and exports, while other goals include a national health care system that covers every citizen, judiciary reforms, minimizing dependence on imports in defense and an active and efficient foreign policy.
Sabiha Özar was 8 years old when the republic was declared. The retired teacher still feels proud to witness the joy and multiple meetings with Atatürk, who guided her to choose her profession.
Özar, born in the central province of Konya, first met Atatürk in March 1923 during the leader's visit to the city. She remembers Atatürk caressing her hair and advising her to study and "become a teacher." She never forgot the advice and attended a teachers' school, where she met Atatürk again during the opening of a factory.
She remembers the days before the declaration of the republic and how people were aware that "a change was imminent." "Atatürk has always said the nation's will would prevail and full independence was imminent. People knew that a new regime would be declared," she told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Friday. Özar also recounts the excitement of people on the streets on the day of the declaration and hearing cannonballs shooting to announce the declaration.
Özar also had an opportunity to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the republic with Atatürk. "I was a middle school student in Ankara. An arch was installed outside the old Parliament. There was Atatürk, standing right across us. He was delivering his famous 10th year speech. I remember crying. People were shouting, "Long live Mustafa Kemal." They were singing. Everybody stayed up all night that day. It was a bright day," she recounted.
She said, as a woman, she was grateful to Atatürk, who "always emphasized the equality of men and women" and encouraged women's education. "He always placed importance on education and helped founding new schools. We had few schools back then but now, we have universities everywhere," she added.
