Turkish officials and thousands of citizens commemorated Sunday Ertuğrul Ghazi, the father of Osman Bey, who founded the Ottoman Empire.

Attending a commemoration event held in the Söğüt district of Bilecik province where Ertuğrul’s tomb is located, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş emphasized their commitment to progress in unity and solidarity, stating: "We stand at the precipice of a historically significant era. As we gather for the 742nd annual Ertuğrul Ghazi Commemoration Festival, we do not just reflect on the past but also cast our gaze toward the future."

"If our ancestors established the six-century-long era of peace and prosperity that Westerners called ‘Pax Ottomana’ with the permission of Allah, it is now our duty to make the century ahead a strong and influential era for Türkiye, with the blessings of prayers, the efforts of this nation and hard work. To achieve this, we will all work together," Kurtulmuş noted.

Kurtulmuş, along with local authorities, including the governor of Bilecik province, Şefik Aygöl, and Söğüt Mayor Ismet Sever, took part in commemorations before heading to the tomb of Ertuğrul Ghazi.

"We are a nation rooted in the past but reaching toward the future. Just like the Ottoman Empire’s mighty tree, we have thrived in these lands, extending our influence to all corners of the world over centuries, and we are the descendants of a nation that has ruled the world. Today, we see that the eyes of the millions who constitute the existence of our nation, our friends and our brothers are fixed on Türkiye, and they await news from Türkiye," he said.

Little is known about the life of the iconic figure who was the father of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire, but it is believed he passed away in 1281 in Söğüt, the last stopover of the Kayı tribe the Ottomans originated from. The events to commemorate the historic figure are being held annually in the town, now part of Bilecik province.

Centuries later, interest in his legacy was revived thanks to the wildly popular "Diriliş Ertuğrul" or "Resurrection Ertuğrul," which also paved the way for similar historical TV shows like "Kuruluş Osman" ("The Ottoman").