Cumhuriyet Bayramı: The Glorious Legacy of October 29th that Defines Turkey

October 29th, is no ordinary day in Turkey; it is Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı), the most significant national holiday and the cornerstone of the country’s modern identity.

It commemorates the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a landmark event that not only sealed the end of six centuries of Ottoman rule but also catapulted the birth of a secular, modern nation-state.

A Historical Zenith: The Break with the Past and the National Project

October 29, 1923, was the triumphant climax of the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923), a conflict led by Atatürk following the collapse and occupation of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I.

This occupation was particularly humiliating: after the signing of the Armistice of Mudros in 1918, the Allied Powers (principally Great Britain, France, and Italy) de facto partitioned large parts of Anatolia and the capital, Istanbul. The Ottoman Sultan’s government was essentially paralyzed and under foreign control, incapable of defending national sovereignty.

The existential threat materialized with the Treaty of Sèvres (1920), an agreement that, though never ratified, projected the total fragmentation of Anatolia, granting vast territories to Greece, creating an autonomous Kurdistan, and a “Greater Armenia.” The War of Independence, led by Atatürk from Ankara, thus became a life-and-death struggle to save what remained of the Turkish nation from this dismemberment, finally achieving the annulment of Sèvres through military victory.

This day is crucial for the following fundamental reasons:

1. Popular Sovereignty: It symbolizes the transition from a theocratic monarchy (the Ottoman Sultanate) to a system where sovereignty unconditionally resides with the nation, represented by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, transforming the Sultan’s subjects into full citizens.

2. The Birth of a Modern State: The proclamation of the Republic was not just a name change but the start of an ambitious project of modernization and secularization under Atatürk. The project included the drastic abolition of the Caliphate and religious laws, the adoption of the Latin alphabet, the Western calendar, and a secular civil code, laying the foundation for a Turkey oriented towards the West.

3. Unity and Patriotism: Cumhuriyet Bayramı is a powerful reaffirmation of national unity. Celebrations, which include official ceremonies, military parades, concerts, and large-scale fireworks displays (especially in Istanbul and Ankara), reinforce deep pride in the founding of the state and the principles of its founder.

Key Fact: The official proclamation occurred in Ankara, the new capital, and established Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as the first President of the Republic of Turkey.

Beyond the Holiday: The Commitment to the Future

For the Turkish citizen, Republic Day goes beyond a mere public holiday; it is a day of deep reflection on the nation’s founding principles: secularism, modernization, and firm independence. It is an annual reminder of the immense effort and sacrifice required to build a republic on the ruins of an empire.
In commemorating this date, Turkey not only looks to its heroic past but also reiterates its commitment to the model of state created by Atatürk—a model that, despite contemporary political fluctuations, remains the constitutional compass and the inescapable point of reference guiding Turkish politics and culture.

Words of Permanence

The founder himself,Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,sealed this commitment with a declaration of faith in the nation’s future,which resonates every October 29th:

“My humble body will one day become earth, but the Republic of Turkey shall remain forever.” (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti ilelebet payidar kalacaktır.) and he also said, “Sovereignty rests unconditionally with the nation.”(Egemenlik kayıtsız şartsız milletindir)