The 103rd anniversary of Istanbul's liberation from enemy occupation was celebrated with a ceremony held in front of the Taksim Republic Monument.
Governor of Istanbul Davut Gül, 1st Army Commander General Bahtiyar Ersay, Deputy Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Nuri Aslan, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Major General İdris Tataroğlu, Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Regional Commander Rear Admiral Serkan Tezel, protocol members, political party representatives, students and citizens attended the wreath laying ceremony that started at 10.00.
The ceremony started with the presentation of the wreaths of the Istanbul Governorship, the 1st Army, the Istanbul Garrison Command and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to the Taksim Republic Monument.
After the wreath presentation, a moment of silence was observed and the National Anthem was sung.
ANOTHER CEREMONY WITHOUT 'İMAMOĞLU'
Elected IMM President and Presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is detained in Silivri, could not take part in another ceremony in Taksim.
"WE ARE HONORED TO GUARD ISTANBUL AND TO SERVE THIS SAINT CITY"
In the message that IMM Deputy President Nuri Aslan read after writing it in the notebook, he said, "I congratulate with honor the 103rd anniversary of the liberation of Istanbul from enemy occupation. I remember with gratitude our heroes of Independence, our beloved martyrs and veterans who sacrificed their lives to cleanse the homeland from the enemy, especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. We want to protect, strengthen and protect our Istanbul, which was entrusted to us by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan." We are working with all our strength to carry it to the future. We are honored to be the guardian of Istanbul and to serve this beloved city. May God not let us experience the days of occupation in an inch of our homeland again. Happy 6 October Liberation of Istanbul!” he said.
MESSAGE FROM ERDOĞAN
At the ceremony, the message published by AKP President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the liberation of Istanbul was read.
In the message, "I convey my congratulations to our citizens on the anniversary of the liberation of our city of Istanbul from enemy occupation. The struggle for independence resulted in victory, thanks to the unprecedented sacrifices of all our martyrs and veterans, who put the homeland above their lives and made history with their heroism, and the determination to protect the independence and freedom of our beloved nation. With such a blessed understanding, we aim to protect our republic, which was founded on the legacy of our ancient civilization, to keep it alive with its achievements, to raise it above the level of contemporary civilizations, to raise it above the level of contemporary civilizations, to achieve greater success with new achievements." "We continue to work with great determination to carry our country to the future by strengthening it. With this belief, I commemorate all the heroes of our War of Independence with respect and mercy. I once again congratulate this day of Istanbul's pride and greet all our citizens with my most heartfelt feelings."
'IT IS THE DAY WHEN OUR ISTANBUL REGAINED ITS SPIRIT'
Speaking at the ceremony, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül celebrated the 103rd anniversary of Istanbul's liberation from occupation and made the following statements:
"We are together on the occasion of the 103rd anniversary of the liberation of our Istanbul from enemy occupation. First of all, I remember with mercy and gratitude our martyrs who made these lands our homeland, especially the Commander-in-Chief of our War of Independence, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and our heroic veterans who passed away into eternity. I wish health, wellness and well-being to our surviving veterans. October 6, 1923. It is not just the date when the occupying power left the city, it is the day when it was declared that Istanbul, the legacy of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and the apple of our nation's eye, regained its spirit and identity.
We know this very well. Istanbul is not an ordinary city. This is the heart of our civilization, our country's gateway to the world and its greatest power. Therefore, the strength of Istanbul means the strength of Turkey. For this reason, we have a single goal with our civil administration, local governments and all our institutions. The trust of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan is to carry this unique city, which was saved from occupation by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, to the future in the strongest possible way, and to fulfill our responsibility towards the future of Turkey. On this occasion, I once again wish God's mercy to all our martyrs; I wish our veterans good health and well-being."
AWARDS WERE GIVEN TO THE HIGHER STUDENTS
At the ceremony, awards were presented to the students who won the painting and poetry competitions held throughout Istanbul. In the painting category, Ayşe Ceren Atalay from Beşiktaş Anatolian High School came first, İlke Öz from BJK Kabataş Foundation Private Anatolian High School came second, and Azra Köse from Istanbul Avni Akyol Fine Arts High School came third.
In the poetry category, Saffet Çebi Secondary School student Şeyma Azat took the first place, while Ece Atkaya from VKV Koç Private Secondary School came second and Bernis Cora from FMV Ayazağa Işık Secondary School came third. The winners received their awards from the Governor of Istanbul, Davut Gül.
After the award ceremony, Şeyma Azat, the winner of the poetry category, read her poem 'Emanet Istanbul'. The ceremony continued with the show of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mehter Band. After two concerts, the show of the Mehter Band was followed with interest by the citizens.
