Turkey Celebrates 90th Republic Day

Turkey celebrates the 90^th anniversary of the declaration of the independence of the country on Oct 29, Tuesday. It is called Cumhuriyet Bayramı, the Republic Day.

Ninety years back in 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed by the Grand Assembly. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was unanimously named the first president of the country. Mr Atatürk led the War of Independence that had started on May 19, 1999 and ended after three years.

This is a national holiday in Turkey where Oct 29 is celebrated every year. Schools in the country celebrate the Republic Day with readings, displays, songs and other presentations. Government schools and offices are closed on this day as the entire country celebrates the occasion in grand style. Ankara, the capital city, hosts many of the official events of celebration which include ceremonies at the Anıtkabir, Atatürks Mausoleum. Anyone who is in Istanbul today must head to Bağdat Caddesi to witness a grand parade in the evening. One cannot miss the fireworks at the Bosphorus Bridge.

The peace treaty, The Treaty of Lausanne, was instrumental in the formation of the country. The treaty was signed in Lausanne, Switzerland, 90 years ago on July 24, 1923. The peace treaty officially put an end to the war that took place between the Allied British Empire and Turkey. It also involved Serb-Croat-Slovene State, the Kingdom of Romania, Kingdom of Greece, Empire of Japan, Kingdom of Italy and French Republic. An earlier attempt for peace, The Treaty of Sèvres, failed as the national movement in Turkey rejected it.

This year the date, Oct 29, is really special for Turkey for another reason as the first intercontinental subway in the world in going to be inaugurated on this day. There will a new high-speed train to run between Istanbul and Ankara. In 2012, Google Doodle celebrated the Republic Day of Turkey by featuring the flying colours of the country.