At 09:05 on November 10, Türkiye will fall silent in memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. It was precisely at this hour in 1938 that the founder and first president of the Republic of Türkiye died, and the anniversary is commemorated across the country with a minute of silence, sirens and official ceremonies.
Turkish flags will be flown at half-mast until sunset. Under an order issued by Türkiye’s Ministry of the Interior, between 09:05 and 09:07 vehicles will sound their horns, while sirens will be heard at businesses and public facilities. November 10 is not an official public holiday, but schools, state institutions and municipalities organize commemorative events.
The main ceremony will take place at Anıtkabir in Ankara, where Atatürk’s mausoleum is located. After the official ceremony, the complex will remain open to the public until 22:00. This will give visitors the opportunity to pay their respects throughout the day.
Ceremonies across the country
In Istanbul, İzmir, Bursa, Antalya and other cities, wreath-laying ceremonies at Atatürk monuments, minutes of silence, speeches, exhibitions and student programs have been scheduled. In Bursa, the ceremony will begin with the laying of wreaths at the Atatürk monument, followed by a program featuring an exhibition, speeches, poems and a stage performance. An official ceremony and commemorative program at a cultural center are also planned in Alanya.
The day is observed not as a national holiday, but as a commemoration of the statesman who led the Turkish national movement after the First World War and laid the foundations of the republic proclaimed on October 29, 1923. In 1934, the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye granted him the surname Atatürk.
The legacy of the founder of the republic
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born in 1881 in Thessaloniki. As president, he carried out sweeping political, legal, educational and social reforms aimed at building a modern Turkish state.
Among his most frequently recalled words are: “Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation.” In Türkiye, November 10 is also used as an occasion to publicly recall republican principles and the role of citizens in the life of the state.
This year’s commemoration will be the 88th anniversary of Atatürk’s death. At 09:05, traffic on the streets, work at businesses and daily activities will be interrupted for one minute, while the founder of the Republic of Türkiye will be honored simultaneously in Ankara and throughout the country.
Sources: haberturk.com, karar.com, alanyaturk.com