Türkiye marks Youth Day with nationwide festivities honoring Atatürk
ISTANBUL
Türkiye has begun nationwide celebrations for May 19, the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, a national holiday that marks the beginning of the country’s War of Independence.
It was on May 19, 1919, that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, landed in the Black Sea port city of Samsun to start the independence movement.
This day, which Atatürk dedicated to the country’s youth, continues to be commemorated with patriotic fervor across the nation, 106 years later.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday marked the commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.
In a message shared by Türkiye's Communications Directorate on X, Erdoğan underscored the historical significance of May 19, marking the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, in 1919.
"We are protecting the homeland and the Republic—sacred legacies entrusted to us by our ancestors—and we are taking steps to advance and elevate the Republic of Türkiye, which will endure forever, in every field," the Turkish president stated.
Erdoğan emphasized that he sees Turkish youth not only as the architects of the future, but also as a driving force of change, saying he "truly" believes that with their energy, determination, and dreams—carrying the legacy of "our civilization in their hearts"—the Turkish youth will leave a defining mark "on our era as the 'Century of Türkiye.'"
In the construction of Türkiye's future, "we solve and permanently eliminate" any problem that will waste the energy of Turkish youth and the country's resources with "fruitless discussions," he said.
"We work with all our might to fulfill our promise to leave our youth a peaceful and serene, high-tech, and prosperous country.
"We offer opportunities for our youth to discover their potential in every field, from science to art, sports to agriculture, diplomacy to nuclear technologies, and we walk hand in hand and arm in arm with our youth to realize our ideal of a great and powerful Türkiye," the president noted.
He said that they will continue to support all Turkish youth who work tirelessly to achieve their goals, never give up, and want to further glorify the civilizational heritage they inherited from their forefathers.
The Turkish president stated that they will always maintain their determination to work harder and achieve more for the Turkish youth by crediting them for every success of Türkiye, "which has become a central country as it grows stronger and has strengthened its position with the steps we have taken."
Erdoğan also commemorated "all the heroes of our War of Independence, Gazi Mustafa Kemal in particular."
Cities across Türkiye held torchlight processions to mark the occasion even days before.
In central Kayseri, thousands marched on May 16, waving Turkish flags, singing anthems and performing traditional "halay" folk dances. In the southeastern city of Diyarbakır, a spectacular 157-meter-long Turkish flag was carried by a large crowd of citizens and youth in a torchlit procession through the historic Sur district.
A symbolic journey is also underway aboard the TCG Anadolu, Türkiye’s largest domestically built warship, to mark the holiday. The vessel departed from Istanbul with 81 young representatives from each of Türkiye’s 81 provinces to arrive in Samsun.
The youth delegate is set to hand over the national flag and a portrait of the Bandırma Ferry, the historical ferry on which Atatürk arrived in the northern province.
"This one-of-a-kind journey from Istanbul to Samsun is a testament to our will to preserve the memory of Atatürk and his comrades, who launched the independence movement a century ago,” said Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak at the send-off ceremony.
The Bandırma Ferry Museum in Samsun, featuring the replica of the vessel that brought Atatürk to the city in 1919, has welcomed nearly 15 million visitors since 2006. The museum includes life-size wax figures of Atatürk and his companions, historic items from the journey, and even a historic clock frozen at 8:00 a.m., the exact hour Atatürk set foot in Samsun.
To mark the holiday, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry also ignited an initiative, announcing that 29 navy ships will be open to the public in 29 ports on May 19 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Locations include coastal cities such as İzmir, Antalya, Samsun, Muğla, Çanakkale and Turkish Cyprus ports like Gazimağusa and Girne.
Across the Atlantic, the Turkish community in New York also honored the day. At Bowling Green in the city’s renowned Wall Street region, the Turkish flag was raised during a ceremony organized by the Bowling Green Association and supported by the Federation of Turkish American Associations.
