Chrysanthemums

I do not know what chrysanthemums remind you of, but they remind me of MY ATATÜRK.

When November 10th arrived, we would decorate the surroundings of all Atatürk busts with chrysanthemums and prepare programs with great care in our schools to commemorate Him.

Those who wanted to dim the light of the Enlightenment in Turkey and besiege the minds of our youth tore the chrysanthemums out of our schools, but they did not succeed in removing the love for Atatürk from the hearts of our children.

How the efforts of those who wanted to exclude the November 10th commemorations from schools have come to nothing, haven't they?

Now, the Turkish Nation is racing against one another to commemorate Him in every corner of the homeland.

At five past nine, the sirens will wail again. 

On the ground, in the sky, and at sea, this Nation will again commemorate Him with longing and respect.

Anıtkabir will be overflowing once again.

Traffic will stop on the streets.

A girl walking her dog on an empty street will bow her head and stop when she hears the sirens, and she will see Atatürk smiling at her with those deep blue eyes.

A young person turning the corner on their bicycle will suddenly brake and stand in a moment of silence.

An elderly woman walking with the bread she bought from the grocery store will shake her head from side to side where she stands, wiping the tears in her eyes with the edge of her headscarf.

Yet the street is completely empty... If they just kept walking, no one would see them...

Human chains stretching for kilometers will form on the coasts. Divers will emerge from the sea with His photograph. 

Thousands of people will wait for hours in front of the Dolmabahçe Palace to leave flowers in Atatürk's room.

This love will never be erased from the heart of the Nation.

Those who try to cope with this love will once again bow to the agony of defeat.

This year, we will once again proudly witness an event that has not been experienced in any other country in the world. No other leader has been commemorated with such great love, respect, and longing years after his passing.

• On the 88th anniversary of his departure from among us, let us not forget what a great privilege it is to be a Nation that is still determined to walk in the footsteps of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, despite all the obstacles. 

• Let us also know the value of the love for Atatürk and His principles being the sole unifying power of our entire Nation.

• To rebuild Atatürk's Turkey, let us be vigilant against "fake Atatürkists," those who use Atatürk as a tool for their political goals, and those who say "Atatürk" only when they are in a tight spot.

• Let us not allow those who do not protect the founding values of Atatürk's Republic, those who vote for conspiracies against the Nation-State, those who grant amnesty to those who martyred our soldiers, those who shake hands with the terrorist leader, and those who take a sledgehammer to the load-bearing columns of the Republic of Turkey for the sake of a few votes to hide behind Atatürk.

We are moving through a very important process where those who claim ownership of Atatürk's Turkey must first know how strong they are and that they constitute the majority of the Nation, and they must not entrust the power they possess to those who exploit Atatürk.

The final word belongs to the Nation, and the Turkish Nation is obligated not to forget that its sole guide is the principles and revolutions of Atatürk.

When we lost Atatürk, the famous writer Claude Farrere wrote, "He is like a lofty mountain. Those at the foot of that mountain cannot perceive this greatness."

We are the ones who perceive that greatness. This year, on November 10th, we will once again take an oath to commemorate Him with gratitude forever and to keep the Republic He founded alive.