105th anniversary of Atatürk's arrival in Ankara
A ceremony was held in Dikmen to mark the 105th anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's arrival in Ankara.
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At the ceremony held at Seğmenler Park in Dikmen Keklikpınarı, the National Anthem was sung, and a moment of silence was observed for the Great Leader Atatürk, his comrades-in-arms, and the martyrs.
Ankara Deputy Governor Bekir Yılmaz drew attention to the importance of Atatürk's arrival in Ankara in 1919 for the national struggle in his speech at the ceremony.
Yılmaz stated the following:
"From this date on, our city was designated as the strategic and geographical center of our national struggle and became the symbol of our nation's freedom and independence. It became a center where the War of Independence was managed, the foundations of our Republic were laid, and our future was shaped, subsequently becoming the heart of Turkey as the capital city."
Following speeches by Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Mustafa Kemal Çokakoğlu and Ankara Club Association President Metin Özaslan, the ceremony concluded with a performance by the seğmenler.
After the ceremony, the seğmenler marched from Ankara Train Station to the Atatürk Monument in Ulus.
In front of the Atatürk Monument, Metin Özaslan recounted the events that took place when Atatürk arrived in Ankara and the history of the seğmenler.
Özaslan used the expression, "As long as there are seğmenler, brave people of Ankara, and those who love Turkey in these lands, the fires of the 'kızılca gün' will never go out."