The day in 1923 when the Grand National Assembly proclaimed the Republic and elected its first president — what happened, why it matters, and how the country marks it today.
Last reviewed on 27 September 2026.
Republic Day — Cumhuriyet Bayramı in Turkish — marks the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye on 29 October 1923. It is the country's most important civic holiday: the day on which the state celebrates its own founding, and the one national occasion on which flags, portraits of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and official ceremonies fill almost every town at once. For visitors to Turkey it is also a practical matter, because offices, schools and some sights close, and the main cities get busy. This page explains what happened in 1923, why the date carries the weight it does, how it is marked today, and what to expect if you are travelling around the holiday.
By the autumn of 1923 the War of Independence was over. The Treaty of Lausanne, signed on 24 July 1923, had secured international recognition of a sovereign Turkish state within borders close to today's, and Allied troops had left Istanbul in early October. The Ottoman sultanate had already been abolished by the Grand National Assembly in November 1922. What remained unsettled was the form of the new state itself: power sat with the Assembly in Ankara, but the country had no head of state and no formal name for its system of government.
Two decisions in October 1923 answered that. On 13 October the Assembly passed a law designating Ankara as the seat of government — a deliberate break with Istanbul, the old imperial capital, in favour of the small Anatolian town that had served as the headquarters of the national movement during the war. Then, on 29 October, after a short political crisis over the formation of a cabinet, the Assembly adopted an amendment to the constitutional law of 1921 declaring that the form of government of the Turkish state was a republic. The same evening the deputies elected Mustafa Kemal (later Atatürk) as the first President of the Republic, and İsmet Pasha (later İsmet İnönü) became the first prime minister. The announcement was greeted in Ankara with celebratory gunfire, and the news spread by telegraph across the country.
The Grand National Assembly designates Ankara as the seat of government, confirming the shift of political power away from Istanbul.
The Assembly declares the Republic. Mustafa Kemal is elected first president; İsmet Pasha forms the first government of the Republic.
The first anniversary is celebrated, and the date soon becomes fixed in law as the principal national holiday of the new state.
Several dates compete for the title of the Republic's birthday. 23 April 1920, when the Grand National Assembly first met in Ankara, is celebrated separately as National Sovereignty and Children's Day. 30 August commemorates the decisive victory of 1922, and 19 May marks Mustafa Kemal's landing at Samsun in 1919. Republic Day stands above these because it is the moment the national movement stopped being a wartime government and defined itself as a permanent state built on popular sovereignty rather than dynastic rule.
The proclamation also opened the way for the reforms that followed in rapid succession: the abolition of the caliphate in 1924, the unification of education, the adoption of new civil, criminal and commercial codes, the change from the Arabic to the Latin alphabet in 1928, and the extension of the vote to women in national elections in 1934. For many Turks, 29 October is therefore not only an anniversary of a constitutional act but a symbol of the whole modernising project associated with Atatürk. The tenth anniversary in 1933 is remembered for Atatürk's Onuncu Yıl Nutku (Tenth Anniversary Speech), whose closing line — "How happy is the one who says I am a Turk" — remains among the most quoted phrases in Turkish public life.
Views of the early Republic differ, as they do about the founding era of any state, and historians debate the balance between its reforms and its centralising, single-party character. But the holiday itself is broadly shared across the political spectrum, and it is observed by the state regardless of which party is in government.
The day begins with the state's formal rituals. In Ankara, the country's senior officials — the president, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, ministers, the chief of the general staff and the heads of the high courts — visit Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum, where wreaths are laid and the visitors sign the memorial book. Governors and district governors hold equivalent ceremonies at Atatürk monuments in every province, usually with a wreath-laying, a minute's silence and the national anthem, the İstiklal Marşı. Later in the day the president receives formal congratulations, and an evening reception is traditionally held in the capital for officials and the diplomatic corps.
Parades have long been a part of the holiday. Their scale varies from year to year: in some years there have been large military and civic parades in Ankara and other cities, in others the programme has been reduced to ceremonies and local processions. In towns across the country, schoolchildren, sports clubs, folk dance groups and uniformed services march past a reviewing stand in the main square. Evening events commonly include concerts, torchlight or lantern processions (fener alayı) and firework displays, with the Bosphorus in Istanbul and the seafront in İzmir among the most popular places to watch.
The most visible sign of the holiday is the Turkish flag. In the days before 29 October, flags appear on government buildings, shops, apartment balconies, cars and ferries, and enormous banners — sometimes several storeys high — are hung on public buildings, often alongside Atatürk's portrait. Bridges and landmarks are lit in red and white. Many flags stay up for days afterwards and, in practice, until Atatürk's death anniversary on 10 November, which is observed as a solemn day of remembrance rather than a holiday.
Schools mark the day with ceremonies held on the last school day before the holiday: the national anthem, recitations of poems about the Republic, readings from Atatürk's speeches and small performances by pupils. Classrooms and corridors are decorated with flags and children's artwork. For many Turks these school ceremonies are the most personal memory of the holiday.
The 100th anniversary on 29 October 2023 was marked as a landmark occasion, the culmination of a year in which the Republic's centenary was referred to constantly in public life, from official logos to advertising. Celebrations included the usual state ceremonies at Anıtkabir, a large naval procession on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, and drone and fireworks displays in several cities, alongside concerts, exhibitions and local events across the country. The centenary also prompted a wave of historical publishing, documentaries and restorations of early republican buildings. The mood was coloured by the aftermath of the devastating February 2023 earthquakes in the southeast and by events abroad, and some planned entertainment was scaled back, but the anniversary was nonetheless observed very widely.
For most travellers the holiday is an opportunity rather than an obstacle: the atmosphere in the cities is festive and the flag-decked streets are a memorable sight. A few practical points are worth knowing.
Nothing special is expected of foreign visitors, but a little awareness goes a long way. The national anthem is played at ceremonies and sometimes in public spaces; people stand still while it plays, and it is courteous to do the same. The flag and Atatürk's image are treated with genuine respect, and insulting either is not only offensive but, in the case of Atatürk's memory, also restricted by law. Photographing parades and decorations is generally fine, but avoid photographing military personnel or security positions at close range, and follow instructions from police at official events. Wishing people "Cumhuriyet Bayramınız kutlu olsun" — "Happy Republic Day" — will be warmly received.
Republic Day is on 29 October every year. The official holiday begins at 13:00 on 28 October, which is a half day, and continues for the whole of 29 October. In 2026, 29 October falls on a Thursday and marks the 103rd anniversary of the Republic.
The Grand National Assembly in Ankara amended the constitutional law to declare that the Turkish state was a republic. The same day it elected Mustafa Kemal, later Atatürk, as the first President, and İsmet Pasha became the first prime minister. Ankara had been named the seat of government on 13 October 1923.
No. Government offices, schools and banks close from the afternoon of 28 October through 29 October, and some traditional markets may shut. Most shops, restaurants, hotels and public transport run normally, and many museums open, though hours can change on public holidays.
Officials lay wreaths at Anıtkabir in Ankara and at Atatürk monuments across the country. Flags and portraits of Atatürk decorate buildings and streets, schools hold ceremonies, and many towns have parades, concerts, lantern processions and fireworks in the evening.
Yes, for most travellers. The cities are festive and the weather in late October is usually mild on the coasts. Expect crowds at Anıtkabir and at evening fireworks, some road closures for parades, and closed banks and offices for a day and a half.
29 October 2023 marked 100 years of the Republic. Alongside the usual ceremonies there was a large naval procession on the Bosphorus, drone and fireworks displays in several cities, and a year of exhibitions, publications and events devoted to the centenary.