Türkiye is marking the 107th anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s arrival in Samsun on May 19, 1919, the date regarded as the beginning of the War of Independence and celebrated today as Atatürk Commemoration, Youth and Sports Day.
Atatürk’s journey to Samsun came after the Ottoman Empire signed the Armistice of Mudros on Oct. 30, 1918, and Allied occupations spread across the country.
Greek forces landed in İzmir on May 15, 1919, while Allied troops were present in several parts of Anatolia and the Allied fleet had anchored off Istanbul in November 1918.
Mustafa Kemal, who had returned to Istanbul after serving on the fronts of World War I, began preparations for a national resistance movement under these conditions.
Assigned as 9th Army inspector to restore order in Samsun and its surrounding region, he left Istanbul aboard the Bandırma ferry on May 16, 1919, one day after the occupation of İzmir.
Mustafa Kemal and his comrades arrived in Samsun on May 19, landing at the Reji Pier.
The date later came to symbolize the first step of the struggle that would lead to the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye.
After spending six days in Samsun, Mustafa Kemal traveled to Havza on May 25.
The independence movement he launched in Samsun later spread through Amasya, Erzurum and Sivas before becoming a nationwide struggle.
May 19 is celebrated across Türkiye every year as a national holiday dedicated to Atatürk, youth and sports.
