Turkey celebrated the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic on Thursday, 29 October 2026, with ceremonies and events held across all 81 provinces, according to CNN Türk. Millions of people, from children to the elderly, gathered in squares and ceremony grounds to mark the occasion. Political leaders also issued messages throughout the day.
At Anıtkabir in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan laid a wreath bearing the crescent and star at Atatürk's mausoleum, followed by a moment of silence and the singing of the Turkish national anthem, CNN Türk reported. The state delegation, which included Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, cabinet members and opposition representatives, walked along the Lion Road to reach the mausoleum.
Why it matters
The date marks the proclamation of the Republic on 29 October 1923, which CNN Türk describes as the start of a new era for the Turkish nation. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic, called 29 October the greatest of the national holidays. This year's commemoration is the 103rd anniversary of that declaration.
Erdoğan's message at Anıtkabir
After the wreath-laying, Erdoğan wrote in the Anıtkabir special guestbook, paying tribute to Atatürk, his comrades-in-arms and fallen soldiers. He said Turkey was engaged in an intense struggle on several fronts to carry the Republic toward a prosperous future, and he pointed to the "Turkey Century" goal as the country's national cause, quoting Atatürk's 1922 address to the Grand National Assembly about the national cause being the nation's life.
In a separate video message released for the holiday, Erdoğan said Turkey's republican history was full of glorious victories, according to CNN Türk. He said the country was developing its own technology and expanding its defence capabilities, and was moving toward a stronger future with firm steps.
Scenes from across the country
In Diyarbakır, students gathered at the İçkale complex in the historic Sur district and unfurled a giant Turkish flag measuring 54 square metres, in an event organised under the provincial education directorate. The display, set against the city's ancient walls and stone buildings, was filmed from the air by drone and drew the attention of residents and tourists in the area, CNN Türk reported.
In Hatay's Kumlu district, a ceremony at the Nilüfer Hamit Karadeniz Primary School was interrupted by rain. Second-grade student Meryem Birce Bahtiyar held her umbrella over a model of Atatürk to keep it dry, a moment captured on a mobile phone camera.
Other local events were reported by Turkish outlets. Habertürk reported a torchlight procession in Ferizli, while İhlas Haber Ajansı reported a similar procession in Osmaneli. Hürriyet's local pages reported a Republic Day event organised for children in Taşköprü, Kastamonu. Onedio published a collection of scenes from celebrations around the country.
In Istanbul, the provincial governor's office announced that the Vatan Avenue cortege, part of the holiday programme, had been postponed to a later date because of rain. The governor's office said the celebration programme would instead take place at 10.30 at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall.
CNN Türk also broadcast a segment on the road to the Republic, presented by correspondent Ümit Uzun. The channel interviewed Prof. Dr. Ziya Gökalp Mülayim, who was born when the Republic was nine years old and whose 94 years have spanned many periods of Turkish history; he has worked as an academic and a senator, held exhibitions of his paintings and written books.
MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli was among the political figures issuing a Republic Day message, CNN Türk reported.
What to watch
The Istanbul governor's office has not yet announced a new date for the postponed Vatan Avenue cortege, and further details of the rescheduled event are expected in the coming days.
