Today Turkey is celebrating the anniversary of the day Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, landed in Samsun 89 years ago to launch the national independence struggle, commemorated nationally as Youth and Sports Day in Turkey, reported Todayszaman.
The day was slated to begin with a 7 a.m. ceremony with gun salutes to mark the hour of Atatürk's arrival in Samsun, and observations will continue through the day nationwide, in Turkish embassies across the globe and in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).
President Abdullah Gül released a message yesterday to mark the occasion, saying Turkey had become a strong and respected country with its democratic and secular regime based on human rights, its dynamic population and more importantly its administration that had managed to combine the institutions of the state with the nation.
"We are celebrating with joy and pride the May 19 Youth and Sports Festival, a present to your youth from Atatürk," he said. He noted that Atatürk, setting out to Anatolia to start a national war of independence against invading European powers 89 years ago, was a historical and strategic incident that changed the fate of the Turkish nation.
Stressing that May 19 symbolized Turkey's ability to find a way out of even the worst situations, Gül said Turkey was closer than ever before to reaching the ideal of contemporary civilization as laid out by Atatürk: "As our democratic regime based on human rights, our approach that encourages an open society and our approach to governing with the individual at the center develops, Turkey will grow even stronger."
He also appealed to the country's youth to open up to the world as the people of a country negotiating for European Union membership.
Festivities in Ankara will start with an official ceremony to be held at Atatürk's mausoleum, Anıtkabir, presided over by the president. Afterward, young people will hold a number of activities during the ceremony to be organized at the 19 Mayıs Stadium. Flags brought from Samsun will be presented to Gül and folk groups, scouts, persons with disabilities and other groups will take part in a parade at the stadium.