102nd Anniversary of Atatürk's Arrival in Ankara

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk came to Ankara on December 27, 1919, laying the foundations of the War of Independence and at the same time led the work of the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The 102nd anniversary of Atatürk's arrival in Ankara, which was an important event in the start of the War of Independence, the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the preparation of the Turkish army, is being celebrated.

The founder of our Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, came to Ankara exactly 102 years ago today, on 27 December 1919, to lay the foundations of the War of Independence and at the same time led the work of the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Ataturk's Arrival in Ankara

After the First World War, the Ottoman Empire was deemed defeated and the enemy, which spread all over the country, began to divide our lands in accordance with the Treaty of Sèvres. Urfa, Antep, Maraş, Adana, Antalya and Istanbul, the center of the Ottoman Empire, were occupied by enemy forces.

On May 15, 1919, the Greeks entered Izmir, and Atatürk went to Samsun on May 19, 1919, and started laying the foundations for the beginning of the War of Independence. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who was greeted with great enthusiasm by the people in Samsun, came to Amasya on 12 June 1919 and the decisions taken were published on 22 June 1919 under the name Amasya Circular.

After this development, the Erzurum Congress took place on July 23, 1919, and immediately after, Atatürk convened the Sivas Congress on September 4, 1919. In the congresses held, the establishment of a government based on national will was determined as the first target and telegrams were sent to all cities and people were asked to elect a representative for themselves.

A meeting place was necessary for the elected representatives and Ankara residents invited Atatürk and the representatives to Ankara. Thinking that the War of Independence would be managed from Ankara in the best way, Atatürk decided to come to Ankara due to Ankara's geographical location and its equal distance from the fronts.

The people of Ankara welcomed Atatürk and the members of the delegation with great enthusiasm, and this welcome greatly touched Ata. Atatürk thanked the people of Ankara, who welcomed him and the delegation with enthusiasm.

Atatürk's arrival in Ankara is a very important event for the establishment of the independent Turkish Republic and the start of the War of Independence. Many developments and preparations, such as the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the establishment of the Turkish army, were made in Ankara. The city of Ankara, which became the center of the national struggle, started to serve as the capital from those days.