August 30 Victory Day
President Abdullah Gül attended the ceremony held at Anıtkabir (Atatürk’s Mausoleum) on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of Victory Day. Afterwards, the President, as the Commander in Chief, received congratulations on the occasion of Victory Day at the Çankaya Presidential Palace for the first time. President Gül and First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül also participated in the ceremony held at the Atatürk Culture Center (AKM).
Anitkabir
Congratulation
Parade at AKM
GÜL RECEIVES CONGRATULATIONS
President Abdullah Gül, as the Commander in Chief, received congratulations on the occasion of Victory Day at the Çankaya Presidential Palace for the first time. High state officials and military officials extended their congratulations to President Gül on this occasion of the August 30 Victory Day.
President Abdullah Gül shook hands with each of the invitees who attended the congratulation ceremony held for the first time at the Presidential Palace. Among the invitees were TBMM Speaker Cemil Çiçek; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; Chief of General Staff Necdet Özel; main opposition party Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu; Deputy President of the Constitutional Court Serruh Kaleli; President Ali Kalkan of the supreme Court of Appeals; President Zerrin Güngör of the Council of State; members of the cabinet; Commanders of the Armed Forces; MPs; Undersecretary of the Prime Ministry Efkan Ala; Governor of Ankara Alaaddin Yüksel; Chairman Sadi Güven of the Higher Board of Election; and military officials as well as heads of foreign missions.
Representatives of military students, military officials from all ranks and civilian personnel in the capital also extended their congratulations to the President on the occasion of Victory Day.
PARADE AT AKM
President Abdullah Gül and First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül participated in the ceremony held at the Atatürk Culture Center (AKM).
President Gül arrived at the AKM in an open top car from which he greeted citizens, and the ceremony was signalled to start as President Gül took his place in the VIP enclosure, and the national anthem was sung afterwards. The President further greeted the military parade .
Attending the ceremony were TBMM Speaker Cemil Çiçek; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; Vice President Serruh Kaleli of the Constitutional Court; Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel; Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu; Deputies PM Bülent Arınç, Beşir Atalay, Bekir Bozdağ and Ali Babacan; President Ali Kalkan of the Supreme Court of Appeals; President Zerrin Güngör of the Council of State; Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin; Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu; Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Mehdi Eker; Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz; Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik; Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek; National Education Minister Nabi Avcı; National Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz; Forestry and Water Works Minister Veysel Eroğlu; Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu; Commander of the Army Gen. Hulusi Akar; Commander of the Naval Forces Adm. Recep Bülent Bostanoğlu; Commander of the Air Force Gen. Akın Öztürk; Commander of the Gendarmerie Forces Gen. Servet Yörük; heads of the foreign missions; and other civilian and military officials and citizens.
After the national anthem was sung and the flag was raised, lieutenants Ali Doğukan Seslikaya and Mine Tamer, both of whom have just graduated from the Military Academy, delivered a speech on behalf of their schoolmates.
The parade was launched with the jump of the airborne troops. Afterwards, they unfurled the Turkish flag and a poster of Atatürk in front of the VIP stand.
General purpose and attack helicopters belonging to the Army Aviation Command, and F-16, F-4 and F-14 jets of the Air Force made demonstration flights. The "Turkish Stars" of the acroteam mesmerized people attending the ceremony with their flight show as well.
CEREMONY HELD AT ANITKABİR
President Abdullah Gül attended the ceremony held at Anıtkabir (Atatürk’s Mausoleum) on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of Victory Day in the morning. Walking through the Path of Lions to the Anıtkabir, the President laid a wreath at the mausoleum and proceeded to the Misak-ı Milli Tower, where he signed the Book of Honor.
President Gül wrote in the Book of Honor as follows:
“Great Atatürk, we are standing before you with pride in carrying the Republic you left to us as legacy, on this 91st anniversary of Victory Day, one of the most important days in our history. Our great nation, whose land was occupied and whose independence was targeted by enemies, displayed a unique struggle under your leadership, and under your command our glorious armed forces achieved a great success which has been written in letters of gold in history. You not only achieved a final victory at the end of the Battle of Dumlupınar but also proved to the whole world our nation’s resoluteness to live freely and that Anatolia will remain our land forever. We will continue to do our best to raise our country to the level of the modern civilizations and to reach the goals you established for us. Turkey will resolutely continue to progress under your motto, “Peace at Home, Peace in the World” and it will also rise as an active, strong and prosperous country which has developed in all areas in the international arena. We remember you, your comrades in arms, all of the heroes and heroines of the War of Independence, all of the members of the Turkish Armed Forces, our martyrs and war veterans, all of whom made this land our land, with tribute and gratitude. May you rest in peace.”