Atatürk commemorated on 71st anniversary of his death

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic, was commemorated Tuesday throughout Turkey, in northern Cyprus and at Turkish missions in foreign countries on the 71st anniversary of his death.

Traffic stopped and sirens blared for two minutes starting at 9:05 a.m., the time when Atatürk died in Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul 71 years ago. All flags around the country were lowered at this time to half-mast, where they remained until sundown.

The first official commemoration ceremony was held at Atatürk’s mausoleum, Anıtkabir, in Ankara, with top state officials, led by President Abdullah Gül, placing a wreath of red and white carnations at the tomb at 9:05 a.m. Participants also observed a minute of silence and sang the Turkish national anthem.

The citizens attending the commemoration celebrations at Anıtkabir applauded and gave an ovation to the military officals attending the ceremony.

Atatürk’s mausoleum was also decorated with 40,000 flowers to mark the date. Some 200 florists from all over Turkey participated in organizing the ceremony, preparing a huge Turkish flag with an Atatürk portrait made up of red and white carnations to be displayed around the mausoleum. The mausoleum inside Anıtkabir was decorated with fresh flowers as well.

President Gül and other political leaders also issued written statements to mark the day. In his message, Gül said Turkey had realized Atatürk’s modernization and transformation steps courageously.

“Atatürk will live in our hearts forever,” Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin said. “Our belief and confidence in him and his principles will last forever.”

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said important dignitaries should be remembered for their ideas, works, sacrifices and endeavors, not with mourning.

"Therefore, the aim of Nov. 10 should never be mourning and refreshing our mourning in despair," Erdoğan said.

The prime minister referred to Atatürk's remarks, "seeing me does not definitely mean seeing my face, and it is sufficient if you can understand my views and feelings," and said he considered Nov. 10 as an important opportunity to commemorate, understand and improve Atatürk's main philosophy and works.

Erdoğan said remembering Atatürk and his heritage could be made by exerting efforts to make Turkey a stronger, democratic and more developed country, and take Turkey above the level of contemporary civilizations.

Warning about the existence of a threat to the country’s unity, main opposition leader Deniz Baykal of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said: “All in the country have begun to become aware of the threat.”

Baykal said Atatürk was one of the most important global political figures of his time. “All the world today respects the model implemented in Turkey by Atatürk,” he said. “It is a model of modernization. Atatürk has led the transformation of all underdeveloped societies; his most important legacy is the Turkish Republic and the fundamental mentality in its foundation. To carry the Turkish Republic forward without damaging the fundamentals of it is the biggest mission.”