A memorial ceremony was held in Ashgabat on Tuesday to mark the 88th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Türkiye. The event was organized by the Embassy of Türkiye in Turkmenistan at the Atatürk monument in the park bearing his name, opposite the diplomatic mission.
The ceremony began at exactly 9:05 a.m., the time Mustafa Kemal Atatürk died on Nov. 10, 1938. Following a minute of silence and the national anthems of Turkmenistan and Türkiye, participants laid flowers at the monument to the founder of the Turkish Republic.
Participants included Türkiye’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan Shener Jebeji, embassy staff, including the military attaché, members of the Turkish community, students from the joint Turkmen-Turkish school and Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Turkmenistan. Members of the honor guard were also present at the monument.
Derya Basharangil, an attaché at the Embassy of Türkiye in Turkmenistan, delivered a speech. According to her, the ideas, reforms and values established by Atatürk continue to serve as a guiding principle for the country, adding that preserving his legacy and passing it on to future generations remain important responsibilities. At the end of her remarks, the diplomat paid tribute to Atatürk, his associates, the heroes who died in the struggle for Türkiye’s independence and veterans.
Türkiye observes Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Memorial Day every year on Nov. 10. At 9:05 a.m. local time, a minute of silence is observed across the country in memory of the republic’s founder, who died on that date in 1938. The main state ceremony traditionally takes place at Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum in Ankara. Turkish diplomatic missions also organize memorial events in countries around the world.
