The Republic Day of Turkey (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) is one of the public holidays in Turkey and Northern Cyprus, commemorating the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. It lasts 35 hours, starting each year at 1:00 pm on the 28th October.
The holiday commemorates the events of 29 October 1923, when Mustafa Kemal declared that Turkey was henceforth a republic. Turkey had been a republic since 23 April 1920, the date of the establishment of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, but the official confirmation of this fact came only three-and-a-half years later.
On 29 October 1923, the status of the nation as a republic was declared and its official name was proclaimed to be Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (“The Republic of Turkey”). After that, a vote was held in the Grand National Assembly, and Atatürk was elected as the first President of the Republic of Turkey.
Many people go to local stadiums on October 29 to watch performances dedicated to Republic Day in Turkey. Such performances usually consist of theatre sketches, poetry readings and traditional Turkish dances. Many school children participate in school performances for parents and teachers. Parades may take place in some cities and politicians may give public speeches on this day. Many people also lay wreaths to Atatürk’s monuments or visit Atatürk’s mausoleum in the country’s capital, Ankara.
In the evening of October 29, many cities have traditional processions with flags and musical bands to commemorate Republic Day in Turkey. The processions usually end with fireworks, which begin after dark.
News courtesy: Cyprus Scene newspaper
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