Mustafa Kemal Atatürk commemorated with respect in Gümülcine
The founder of the Republic of Türkiye, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was commemorated in Gümülcine on the 87th anniversary of his passing with a solemn ceremony.
The ceremony took place in the courtyard of the Turkish Consulate General in Gümülcine, where a large number of members of the Turkish minority community across Western Thrace gathered to express their enduring respect and affection for Atatürk.
Participants arrived at the Consulate building before 09:05 a.m.—the exact time of Atatürk’s passing. At 09:05, a minute of silence was observed, followed by the singing of the Turkish National Anthem.
The event continued with speeches highlighting the significance of the day.
Teacher Ceyda Gülşen
The first speech was delivered by Ceyda Gülşen, a contingent teacher serving in İskeçe.
Gülşen emphasized that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was one of the rare leaders who could transform the hardships of war into a vision of civilization.
“Atatürk managed to turn war into a system of values based on peace,” she said. “Civilization is not a geography, but a state of consciousness. The greatest legacy Atatürk left us is a disciplined life built upon reason, science, and morality.”
Gülşen described republic-era teachers as the “tireless carriers of this legacy” and added:
“Today, our duty is not only to remember Atatürk but to bring his ideas into our daily decisions.”
She concluded her remarks by saying,
“I commemorate Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, his comrades in arms and in thought, and all the unsung heroes of the national struggle with gratitude, mercy, and respect. May their souls rest in peace, and may the Republic endure forever.”
Consul General Aykut Ünal
Türkiye’s Consul General in Gümülcine, Aykut Ünal, also delivered a speech highlighting key moments from Atatürk’s life.
“Dear guests, today we remember with respect, gratitude, and longing the great statesman and commander, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, on the anniversary of his passing,” Ünal said.
He noted that this year’s ceremony had a special feature: artworks and writings by local youth expressing their admiration and love for Atatürk were exhibited at the Consulate.
“We did not organize this as a competition,” he continued. “Our goal was to reflect our shared emotions and gratitude through the eyes and words of our children and young people, who represent our future.”
Ünal went on to read a passage from Atatürk’s own words in the Turkish Grand National Assembly dated December 2, 1922, when Atatürk responded to a proposed law that would have disqualified him from parliamentary candidacy because his birthplace—Selanik (Thessaloniki)—lay outside the borders of the newly formed Republic.
Atatürk had said:
“This proposal seeks to deprive me of my citizenship rights... My birthplace happens to be outside our current borders, but this is neither my fault nor my deficiency. The reason is that the enemies who tried to destroy our homeland succeeded only partially. If they had fully achieved their aims, even the provinces of those who signed this bill might have remained outside our borders. I could not stay five years in one place because I was serving my country—fighting in Gallipoli, Bitlis, Muş, and Aleppo to secure our nation’s existence. If I had simply stayed in one place, I could not have accomplished any of these duties.”
Ünal emphasized that this story represented only a small glimpse into Atatürk’s lifelong sacrifice and devotion.
He concluded his speech by noting that the Atatürk House in Thessaloniki had recently reopened to visitors following restoration works and that representatives from the Western Thrace Turkish community, including local muftis and association leaders, attended the reopening ceremony.
“As I conclude, I once again commemorate our great leader Atatürk, his comrades, and all our martyrs and veterans with respect and gratitude. Thank you for your attention,” he said.
