Republic Day celebrations held amid controversy

Clashes between Turkish police and protesters who insisted on holding a banned rally cast a shadow over the Republic Day celebrations held on Monday.

For the first time, Republic Day, which marks the foundation of the Turkish Republic on October 29, 1923, was celebrated at two separate events in Ankara, clearly indicating the  divide between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and opposition groups, including main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) as well as some minor leftist parties.

Official celebrations went ahead as planned in the Turkish capital, while the rally, organized by the opposition groups but banned by the Ankara Governor's Office citing security reasons, saw some tense moments between protestors and the riot police.   

The opposition criticized the government for failing to pay due respect to a national holiday, and not respecting the values of the Republic. The government dismissed those claims, saying that the ban was imposed after intelligence indicated that some provocations might take place during a rally. The government added that everyone is welcome at the official celebration.

The official event took place at the Atatürk Cultural Center following a ceremony at Atatürk's mauseloum (Anıtkabir), and was attended by high-level state officials, military commanders and representatives of some political parties, including Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the CHP. The wife of the President Abdullah Gül, Hayrünnisa Gül, who wears a headscarf, also attended the official celebrations as a member of the official delegation for the first time.

The president signed the Anıtkabir Special Register, writing: “Great Atatürk, we are celebrating the 89th anniversary of the republic you founded with great enthusiasm. We stand before you with the pride of a country that is improving its democracy, protecting human rights and freedoms, strengthening its economy and maintaining reforms. We are trying our best to surpass the level of contemporary civilization, to maintain the basic values of our republic. … We, as a nation, bow before you with respect on this Republic Day and thank you. May you rest in peace.”

After the ceremony in Anıtkabir, President Gül received greetings and congratulatory messages at the Çankaya presidential palace, a historic first, since this has traditionally taken place in Parliament.

The alternative, unofficial celebration was organized by a group of more than 30 civil society organizations led by the Youth Union of Turkey (TGB), known for their ideological proximity to the Workers' Party (İP), in Ulus Square. The TGB is also known for its pro-Assad stance in Turkey and was one of the organizers of a conference in August held in the border province of Hatay to show solidarity for the Syrian government in its attempts to crush the 19-month-old uprising in Syria.

A group of nearly 20 thousand people gathered at the rally, in defiance of a ban imposed by the Ankara Governor's Office on the grounds that “some groups may seek to incite anarchy in the country” in front of the first parliament building which served as the base for Parliament during the Turkey's struggle for independence.  

Groups arriving in buses from other cities to join the rally were initially stopped by the police at checkpoints around Ankara, but following mediation by some CHP deputies, the buses were allowed into the city. As they had previously announced, the demonstrators, including the CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu and some CHP deputies, wanted to march to Atatürk's mausoleum to pay their respects. Initially, the police didn't allow the rally participants to march in that direction, and used tear gas and water cannons to try to break up the demonstration. After about half an hour, however, the police removed the barricades and allowed protestors to continue on to Anıtkabir.

“We are faced with a government which tries to prevent people from celebrating their holiday,” Kılıçdaroğlu told the Anatolia News Agency. “This is a shame for Turkey” he added, criticizing the government for being disconnected from the people.

On Monday evening, President Abdullah Gül will give a reception at the Çankaya Presidential Palace celebrating the foundation of the Republic, but the CHP leader has already announced that he will not attend. Instead, Kılıçdaroğlu will fly to İstanbul to join the Republic Day march to be held in Kadıköy.

The presidential reception will have unique qualities this year. For the first time, the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces will attend the reception accompanied by their wives, and an alternate reception at the Ankara Officer's Club will not be organized by the Turkish Armed Forces. Another unique characteristic will be the simultaneous presence of both commanders-in-chief of the armed forces and some deputies from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).  

Nearly four thousand policemen were on duty to provide security for the Republic Day rally in Ankara supported by some minor leftist political parties such as the Democratic Left Party (DSP), the İP, which is closely associated with the TGB, and the Ankara Bar Association, as well as the CHP.

Right-wing parties such as the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Grand Unity Party (BBP) condemned the rally initiative, maintaining that organizing a celebration alongside the official one would damage the unity of the people.

The Ankara Governor's Office announced last week that it had banned the Oct. 29 rally following intelligence that some radical groups would try to use the occasion to provoke a chaotic situation in the country.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed support for the ban, saying just days ago, “The Governor's Office did its duty following intelligence gathered by its own means,” implying that the intelligence the governor's office had obtained indicated some provocations may take place during the rally.

Republic Day was celebrated joyously in Istanbul, where an official parade was held on Vatan Street. İstanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, the mayor of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Kadir Topbaş, and four-star General Yalçın Ataman, commander of the 1st Army based in İstanbul, celebrated Republic Day with the people gathered in the street.