Yesterday was a day of remembrance for Fethiye when the anniversary of the death of Atatürk and Remembrance Sunday fell on the same day.
Atatürk remembered on 81st anniversary of his death
Turkey marked the 81st anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founding father of the Republic of Turkey.
Crowds gathered at Fethiye Town Square to pay their respects and commemorate one of the great figures of the 20th century, a man who embarked upon the reform of his country to bring it into the 20th century.
Wreaths were laid at the statue of Atatürk, the *fire pit was lit, and at 9:05 a.m. local time, sirens wailed to mark the exact moment of Atatürk’s and Fethiye, along with millions of others around Turkey, observed two minutes of silence followed by the Turkish National Anthem, İştiklal Marşı.
*Honour guards stand at the fire pits lit at the Atatürk mausoleum Ankara on the anniversary of his death.
After the ceremony, flowers were laid at the feet of the statue of Atatürk.
Atatürk died on November 10th 1938 in Dolmabahçe Palace in İstanbul. The clocks in the palace were all stopped at 09:05, the time that he died. The clocks outside of his room are now set to the actual time in Turkey, but the clock in the room in which he died still points to 09:05am
Excerpt from Atatürk by Andrew Mango
On 8 November Atatürk fell into a final coma. According to Hasan Rıza Soyak, he addressed his last words to his doctor Neşet Ömer İrdelp. They were “Aleyküsselam” (Peace to you) – the Muslim reply to a greeting. Medical bulletins were issued again, and this time they did not conceal the gravity of the president’s illness. At five past nine on the morning of 10 November 1938, Atatürk died in his bedroom in Dolmabahçe palace. Three Turkish doctors, the commander of the presidential guard and the secretary Hasan Rıza Soyak were at his bed-side. At midday, the news was announced in an official communiqué. Order would be safeguarded, the government promised, and the republic would live on. The assembly was to meet to elect a new president.
Fethiye honors those who died in Remembrance Day service
Armistice Day vs Remembrance Sunday
Armistice Day is on 11 November and is also known as Remembrance Day.
It marks the day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918.
A two-minute silence is held at 11am to remember the people who have died in wars.
There is also Remembrance Sunday every year, which falls on the second Sunday in November to honour those who have died in wars – not just World War One.
This includes World War Two, the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On Remembrance Sunday, ceremonies are held at war memorials, cenotaphs and churches throughout the UK, as well as abroad.
Remembrance Sunday in Fethiye
British and Turkish people stood side by side to honor those who died in wars in a Remembrance Sunday service yesterday.
The service, now in its second year, was organised by resident Tony Benham, and took place outside the Municipality office in Hisarönü.
It was well attended by ex-serviceman and local residents as well as Fethiye Deputy Mayor, Oğuz Bolelli, Yavuz Topateş who works with the Mayor’s office in a Consular capacity, and Mehmet Uysal, who manages the Ölüdeniz Belediye office in Hisarönü.
The service, which was held in both English and Turkish, opened with the famous verse from poem “For The Fallen” by Robert Laurence Binyon.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
The Last Post was played and one minutes silence was observed for everyone who died in wars, no matter their nationality. The wreath was then laid at the foot of the statue of Atatürk.
Although Tony had attended the commemoration of Atatürk in Hisarönü at 9:05, he closed the service with a further one minutes silence as a mark of respect and unity.
We will remember them”
Source: BBC
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