Turkiye is commemorating its 100-year anniversary as a republic with events held in 81 provinces on October 29. The country of 85 million people joined the celebrations with national flags, music and posters of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the century-old republic.
In the early hours of Sunday, a delegation of government officials, generals, and top judges visited Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan laid a customary wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. “Our country is in safe hands, you may rest in peace,” he said.
“We have tried to protect your legacy properly during our 21-year period of administration, every moment of which was spent serving our country and nation,” he wrote in the Anitkabir guestbook. “As an administration that has brought Türkiye together with the historic moves of investment, we are determined to crown the second century of our Republic with the Century of Türkiye.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye “will continue to take bold and resolute steps for a fairer world as a symbol of peace, common sense, justice, and trust.”
On this occasion, Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler said: “We are proudly and excitedly celebrating the 100th anniversary of our Republic, which was established at the end of the Turkish Independence War led by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, with heroism and sacrifice to protect our noble nation’s homeland, flag, independence, and national and spiritual values.”
The center of the celebrations was Bosphorus. In Ankara, the 100th anniversary celebrations continues with public concerts at different parts of the city.
In Antalya, Türkiye’s centenary was celebrated with a torchlight procession attended by thousands of people.
The celebration also included a magnificent firework and drone show over the Bosphorus. Fireworks added colors to the celebration in several cities of Turkiye.
Aerial celebrations
The Turkish Air Force’s acrobatic team, the Turkish Stars, will perform aerial displays in the skies of Istanbul as part of the celebrations. SOLOTURK also performed an airshow after the parade of Turkish Stars.
At he 100th anniversary event at Sivrihisar Aviation Center in Eskişehir, Turkiye’s first female professional aerobatic pilot Semin Öztürk Şener performed a demonstration flight. The aviation center staff also created the number “100” on the aviation center runway to pay tribute to their homeland in a unique way.
Turkiye’s locally produced electric cars join celebration
Türkiye’s first domestic electric cars, Togg, participated in the Turkish Republic’s 100th-year anniversary celebrations by crossing the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in a convoy on October 29 at a special event in Istanbul.
100 Turkish Navy ships take part in largest parade to honor 100 years of Turkiye
Turkish Naval Forces conducted the largest parade in history to mark the Republic of Türkiye’s centenary. 100 warships, including TCG Anadolu, an amphibious assault ship, and TCG Istanbul, Türkiye’s first national frigate, participated in the Istanbul Strait parade.
Navy Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu led the command and control of the largest and most comprehensive parade ceremony in the history of the Turkish Navy. The parade featured 100 ships including 11 frigates, 10 submarines, four corvettes, four patrol ships, 17 assault boats, eight mine countermeasure vessels, five fuel tankers, six amphibious landing ships, 10 tank landing ships, 18 auxiliary vessels and four attack boats. As many as 14 aircraft including F-16s and F-4s also participated in the parade.
“Drawing its strength and determination from the great Turkish nation and the crescent and star flag, the Turkish Naval Forces are ready and on duty with all its floating, diving and flying elements to give their lives for the defense of the homeland when necessary, with unwavering determination,” said Rear Admiral Gökçen Fırat, the first female admiral of the Turkish Armed Forces.%
Some festivities called off due to Gaza war
Turkey marked its 100-year Republic anniversary amid reduced festivities. Many of the planned festivities have been called off due to the Gaza conflict and Israel’s escalating attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Hundreds of thousands of people attended a large rally in support of Palestine in Istanbul on Saturday on the eve of Republic Day.
Erdogan’s participation in a pro-Palestine rally in Istanbul also drew attention, where he criticized Israel for acting like a “war criminal” and highlighted the “vicious massacre happening in Gaza.” At the pro-Palestinian rally in, Turkish President Erdogan said Israel was an occupier. “Israel is an occupier, Erdogan speaks clearly because Turkey does not owe you anything,” he told hundreds of thousands of supporters on Saturday.
Turkish Republic turns 100
The Turkish Republic was established on October 29, 1923, after the Ottoman Empire saw its decline in the early 20th century.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a military leader, led the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923) and create the Turkish Republic on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. On November 1, the newly founded parliament formally abolished the Sultanate, ending 623 years of Ottoman rule. The Treaty of Lausanne of July 24, 1923, led to the international recognition of the newly formed “Republic of Turkey” as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire. and the republic was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923, in Ankara.
Kemal Ataturk, who became the republic’s first President of Turkey, introduced radical reforms, creating a Western-oriented secular state with women’s suffrage, replacing the Arabic script with Roman alphabet, and European laws.
Turkey’s current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan introduced the “Century of Türkiye” initiative for the Republic’s centenary. The goals encompass economic growth, expanded healthcare, judicial reform, reduced defense imports, and a dynamic foreign policy.
However, some Western analysts believe that under Erdogan, Turkey has become more conservative with roots in Islamic politics. Turkey joined NATO in 1952 and aspired to EU membership, but negotiations stalled. Turkiye’s foreign policy has grown assertive, sometimes aligning with and sometimes challenging Western interests.
Over the years, Turkey has faced arms embargoes over actions in Cyprus and Kurdish conflicts. Despite restrictions, Turkey’s domestic arms industry has thrived, producing a range of weapons from rifles and tanks to assault ships and a new fighter jet Kaan and combat drones like the Bayraktar, which gained international recognition in global conflicts.