Celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey culminated over the weekend.
A naval parade was held in Istanbul, with 100 ships and 20 warplanes taking part. On the evening of October 29, tens of thousands of people watched a light show and fireworks over the Bosphorus Strait.
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the new century “the century of Turkey” in an address to the nation.
“The Republic we proclaimed on Oct. 29, 1923, has completed its first century. It is on its way to the second, which we call the ‘century of Turkey,'” Erdogan declared.
A Lantern Procession was organized in Alanya to the venue of singer Funda Arar’s performance. Residents and visitors walked through the streets with red flags of the country. According to the press service of the municipality, more than 60 thousand people participated in the procession.
Every year on October 29, the Turkish people celebrate the main national holiday – Republic Day. It was on this day in 1923 that Turkey was declared a Republic by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Then, in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, a vote was held, after which Ataturk became the first president.
