The Turkish president on Friday marked the Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day.
"I congratulate you with my sincerest feelings on May 19 Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in his message.
"The date of May 19, 1919, gifted to the Turkish youth by Gazi Mustafa Kemal, is the symbol of our ancestors' revival of the spirit of resistance with great faith and belief, even in the face of impossibilities," Erdoğan said.
"May 19 is the day when the Turkish Nation began to write one of the greatest heroic epics that history has ever seen, shouting that they will not bow to oppression in unity and solidarity against imperialist forces."
"We trust our youth the most when designing and implementing our country's democracy and development breakthroughs," he said.
As Türkiye develops, and grows, "it will give more support to youth so that they can realize their dreams," Erdoğan stressed.
"With these thoughts, I once again congratulate all on May 19 Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day, and commemorate with respect all the heroes of our War of Independence, Gazi Mustafa Kemal in particular," he added.
May 19, 1919, was the day Mustafa Kemal, later to become Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, arrived in the Black Sea city of Samsun from Istanbul to organize the war that saw the remnants of the Ottoman Empire transformed into modern Türkiye four years later.
