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Turkish Republic to mark 87th anniversary

29 October 2010 08:43 (UTC +04:00)

Officer of Ottoman Army Mustafa Kemal didnâ€™t accept this defeat and started national freedom movement in Samsun on May 19, 1919.

Mustafa Kemal resigned from the army on July 14 and organized a grandiose congress in Erzrum on July 23. The Erzrum Congress was held under the motto â€œIndependence or Deathâ€ and it decided to begin struggle against the occupation. On April 23, 1920, representatives from all parts of the country opened Grand National Assembly in Ankara and Mustafa Kemal was elected the Assemblyâ€™s chairman. On May 11, 1920, Ottoman government and winner-countries signed capitulatory Sevres treaty, which made the occupation official. The resistant forces didnâ€™t accept the capitulation and began Salvation Fight under the Mustafa Kemalâ€™s leadership. A general mobilization was declared on September 14, 1920 and the Salvation Fight was ended with the victory of Turkish people on August 30, 1922. The Grand National Assembly elected Mustafa Kemal as the first president of the Turkish Republic. Ankara was declared as the nationâ€™s capital on October 13, 1923. The Grand National Assembly officially declared the foundation of the Turkish Republic on October 29, 1923. After the long discussions at the Lausanne conference, powerful countries recognized Turkish Republic within the existed borders. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey granted surname â€œAtaturkâ€ to Mustafa Kemal in 1934.