Turkey National Day 2023: Google celebrates Turkey's Republic Day, marking 100th anniversary

Google is on 29 October celebrating Türkiye’s Republic Day, historic occasion that marks 100th anniversary of the Republic. In the artwork made by Google Doodle, the Second Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which housed the parliament until 1924, is shown where President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had delivered his seminal 6-day speech that detailed his beliefs on democracy, secularism, and national unity in the Great Hall. It is also the building where Atatürk oversaw new laws and reforms.

As per Google Doodle, on this holiday, people in Turkey from all walks of life visit Anıtkabir in Ankara to honour Atatürk, the republic's founder, and place wreaths on his mausoleum. In addition, crowds assemble in stadiums and on public streets to celebrate, take part in evening parades.

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As per Google Doodle's description, the Second Grand National Assembly of Turkey is now a museum and it's filled with personal objects that offer an intimate glimpse into Atatürk’s life — including pens, glasses, outfits, and his morning coffee cup.

Meanwhile, Turkey marks its centenary as a post-Ottoman republic with somewhat muted celebrations held under the shadow of Israel's escalating war with Hamas militants in Gaza.

The day's celebrations will have President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the forefront, honouring the founder of the secular republic and highlighting the accomplishments of the Islamic-rooted party that has ruled Turkey since 2002.

Erdogan and World War I-era military commander Mustafa Kemal Ataturk became the seminal figures of the modern Turkish state.

Ataturk is lionised across Turkish society for driving out invading forces and building a brand new nation out of the fallen Ottoman Empire's ruins in the wake of World War I. Turkey was formed as a Western-facing nation that stripped religion from its state institutions and tried to forge a modern new identity out its myriad ethnic groups. Eventually, Turkey became a proud member of the US-led NATO defence alliance and a beacon of democratic hopes in the Middle East.

(With inputs from AFP)