Türkiye marks 88th anniversary of Atatürk's death

Türkiye on Tuesday observed the 88th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic and commander of the National Struggle, who passed away at age 57 on November 10, 1938, at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.

Military leadership and National Struggle

Born in Thessaloniki in 1881, Mustafa Kemal distinguished himself during World War I at the Battle of Gallipoli, where he rallied troops with the words: "If you have no ammunition, you still have your bayonets," earning the title "Hero of Anafartalar." Landing in Samsun on May 19, 1919, he launched the organized resistance against foreign occupation and later issued his historic order at the Battle of Sakarya: "There is no line of defense, there is a surface of defense. That surface is the entire homeland. Not a single inch of the homeland can be abandoned unless it has been soaked with the blood of its citizens."

Founding the Republic

The military victories paved the way for the Treaty of Lausanne on July 24, 1923, which Atatürk described as "a document expressing the collapse of a great conspiracy," before the Republic was proclaimed on October 29 with Atatürk as its first president. When an assassination attempt was foiled in 1926, he stated: "There can be no doubt that this vile attempt was directed not so much against my person as against our sacred Republic and the high principles upon which it is founded. My humble body will certainly one day turn to dust, but the Republic of Türkiye will endure forever."

Final journey

Atatürk passed away at 9:05 a.m. on November 10, 1938, prompting nationwide mourning before his remains were transported by the battleship Yavuz to Ankara. He was temporarily laid to rest at the Ethnography Museum until November 10, 1953, when his remains were transferred to Anıtkabir, where they rest today as the nation observes the 88th anniversary of his death.