Turkey reveres Ataturk on 82nd death anniversary

ISTANBUL/ANKARA

The Republic of Turkey on Tuesday honored its founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, on the 82nd anniversary of his death.

People across the country observed two minutes of silence at 9.05 a.m. local time (0605GMT), the time when Ataturk passed away on Nov.10, 1938.

Commuters stepped out of their vehicles when sirens wailed to mark the exact moment of Ataturk’s last breath at the age of 57.

Ferries along the Bosphorus accompanied them with their own sirens as some people were moved to tears during the moment of silence.

In Istanbul, Ataturk was commemorated with an event in his room at the Dolmabahce Palace, where he spent his last days.

The room was opened to visitors at 7.30 a.m., with young and old alike queuing in front of the palace.

Visitors laid white and red carnations and other flowers on the Ataturk's bed, as children left notes.

Meanwhile, special services were held at the Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport, attended by dozens of airport personnel and passengers.

Police officers at passport control points also took part in a minute of silence, along with some foreign passengers who accompanied them.

People in Turkey traditionally visit Ataturk's mausoleum Anitkabir, where he has been laid to rest since 1953, every Nov. 10 in the capital Ankara.

Besides security measures before the gathering of state officials, Anitkabir was also disinfected due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

After the event, the mausoleum is to be open to visitors until 4 p.m. to commemorate and pay their respects to the leader.

Separately, a commemoration event was held in the western Izmir province. The ceremony was attended by Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum and other officials. They laid a wreath at the Ataturk monument at Cumhuriyet Square.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism opened special exhibitions in 15 provinces. The exhibitions have a total of 40 images, including some of which will be made public for the first time.

Celebrations this year were limited to small-scale events due to the pandemic. Special events will be held across the country during the day.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar