At 9:05 a.m., life came to a standstill across Turkey on 10 November as sirens sounded in unison to pay tribute to the founder of the modern republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, on the 87th anniversary of his death. For one minute, the entire country came to a standstill: traffic stopped, pedestrians stood in silence and many drivers got out of their cars to show their respect for the leader who transformed the former Ottoman Empire into a modern republic in 1923.
On Istanbul’s 15 July Martyrs’ Bridge (Bosphorus Bridge), dozens of drivers stopped their vehicles at 9:05 and lined up facing Dolmabahçe, where Atatürk breathed his last. Images captured by a drone showed long lines of motionless vehicles as citizens stood in silence in the direction of the iconic building, CNN Türk reported.
In Istanbul, however, the epicentre of the tributes was once again the Dolmabahçe Palace, where Atatürk spent his last days before his death on 10 November 1938. From early morning, thousands of people formed long queues along the Bosphorus to enter the palace complex. The official ceremony in his bedroom – presided over by an institutional wreath laid on the bed covered with the Turkish flag – gave way to tributes from state representatives. At 9:05, the sirens sounded and the attendees bowed their heads in respect, many visibly moved as the national anthem later echoed through the palace halls.
In Ankara, thousands of people flocked to Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum, to pay their respects to the father of the nation and take part in the official ceremony. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, along with military commanders and senior state officials, traditionally laid flowers at Atatürk’s tomb while the national anthem was played. Later, families, students and thousands of visitors from all over the country walked around the monumental tomb carrying flags, carnations and portraits of Atatürk.
The same events and scenes were repeated across the country, where governors, mayors, military, students and citizens gathered at monuments dedicated to Atatürk to observe a minute’s silence and sing Turkey’s national anthem. In coastal cities, even ferry passengers silently joined in the tribute as ships’ sirens sounded in unison.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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