| Republic Day | |
|---|---|
 Displays of fireworks, such as these over theBosporus in 2007, take place across Turkey on Republic Day. | |
| Official name | Cumhuriyet Bayramı (Turkish) |
| Also called | The twenty-ninth of October (Turkish:Yirmi Dokuz Ekim) |
| Observed by |  Turkey Northern Cyprus |
| Type | National |
| Significance | The day in 1923 that therepublic was proclaimed by theGrand National Assembly of Turkey |
| Celebrations | Fireworks,concerts,parades, events at schools, cultural programmes |
| Date | 29 October |
| Next time | 29 October 2026 (2026-10-29) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | 1923; 102 years ago (1923) |
Republic Day (Turkish:Cumhuriyet Bayramı) is apublic holiday inTurkey commemorating theproclamation of the Republic of Turkey, on 29 October 1923. The annual celebrations start at 1:00 pm on 28 October and continue for 35 hours.[1]
The holiday commemorates the events of 29 October 1923, whenMustafa Kemal Atatürk declared that Turkey was henceforth a republic.[2] Turkey hadde facto been a republic since 23 April 1920, the date of the establishment of theGrand National Assembly of Turkey (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi), but the official confirmation of this fact came three-and-a-half years later.[3] On 29 October 1923, the status of the nation as a republic was declared and its official name was proclaimed to beTürkiye Cumhuriyeti ("the Republic of Turkey").[3] After that, a vote was held in the Grand National Assembly, and Atatürk was elected as the firstPresident of the Republic of Turkey,[2][4] keeping his position until his death.
Republic Day is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Similar to other autumn events, Republic Day celebrations often take place outdoors. According to Law No. 2429 of 1981, Republic Day is a national holiday, so all public institution are closed on that day.[5] It is also observed byNorthern Cyprus.[6]
Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red and white, the colors of theTurkish flag.Anıtkabir is visited by more than a hundred thousand people every year.[7] Parades are often held in the morning, while concerts, and fireworks displays occur in the evening after dark at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.[8] Republic Dayfireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the 10th Anniversary March.[9] Istanbul has the largest fireworks display in the country.[citation needed] It generally holds displays over the Bosphorus.[10] Other major displays are in Ankara inUlus; and in İzmir over theGulf of İzmir andGündoğdu Square.[11][12]
The 2023 Republic Centennial featured among others the return of the yearly parade in Ankara and a fleet review of Turkish Navy assets in Istanbul.[13]
The tenth year speech was the speech given by the President of theRepublic of Turkey,Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, at the celebrations of the tenth anniversary of the republic's establishment on 29 October 1933.[14] This speech not only gave an account of theTurkish War of Independence, in other words, tells about whom, why and how the national struggle was waged,[15] but also contained information about what should be done after the establishment of the Republic.[16][17]
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