VETERANS DAY WAS CELEBRATED IN KUŞADASI

'September 19 Veterans Day', which is the anniversary of the granting of the title of 'Veteran' with the rank of 'Marshal' to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in 1921, was celebrated with a ceremony held in Kuşadası.

The ceremony started at 10.30 in Atatürk Square; Kuşadası District Governor İbrahim Keklik, Kuşadası Deputy Mayor Metin Uğur, Kuşadası Police Chief Mehmet Ali Berksoy, District Gendarmerie Deputy Commander First Lieutenant Fatih Fuçular, Coast Guard Station Deputy Commander First Lieutenant Emre Kaçak, District National Education Director İbrahim Ataman, Kuşadası Martyrs' Families and Veterans Association President Mehmet Yiğit, municipal council members and relatives of martyrs and veterans attended. At the ceremony, a moment of silence was observed for the martyrs. The ceremony started with laying a wreath on the Atatürk Monument by Kuşadası District Governor İbrahim Keklik and Deputy Mayor Metin Uğur and continued with the reading of the National Anthem.

“OUR SAINT MARTYRS AND VETERANS SHOULD ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED”

Making the opening speech of the ceremony, Coast Guard Station Deputy Commander Lieutenant Emre Kaçak said, “September 19, Veterans Day, is the day of the heroes who devoted their lives to this country. Today is the 102nd anniversary of Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk being given the rank of Marshal and the title of veteran. Today is the day we honor our citizens who are veterans. Happy heroic veterans' day. Our dear martyrs and veterans should always be remembered. The victories of our glorious history should never be forgotten. As long as the Turkish soldier, who fought heroically against all kinds of enemies with the thought of 'If we die, we will be martyrs, if we stay, we will be veterans' to protect the legacy of our ancestors who made these lands our homeland, and this great spirit he carries, will never come true. We are proud of you as a member of this noble nation, which has produced such heroes, and as members of its glorious army, the Turkish Armed Forces. "We express our gratitude and respect to our literary commander Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades in arms, our beloved martyrs and our deceased veterans and their relatives, and to our nation from which we always draw strength," he said. The ceremony ended with folk dance performances and the reading of poems indicating the meaning and importance of the day.