On October 29th, 2020 as the Bay Area Turkish Society, we honor Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s legacy, and the democratic values he instilled in the generations that followed in his footsteps. We are forever grateful for his vision and to his generation who have sacrificed so much.

“Cumhuriyet Bayramı” marks the creation of the Modern Turkish Republic in 1923, at the end of Turkey’s war of Independence which lasted from 1919 to 1923. After a new constitution adoption on October 29th, 1923, the Turkish parliament replaced the constitution of the Ottoman Empire, leading the way to a modern democracy. The difficult road to democracy would not have been possible without Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s modern vision of democracy and his leadership of the Turkish War of Independence.

Deep in our hearts, we cherish the true value of democracy and civic engagement not only on this day, but on everyday through our organization’s activities. Over the years, as the Bay Area Turkish Society, we have celebrated Republic Day in many meaningful ways with our community. This year we can not be physically together, however we wanted to share these cheerful gatherings we held together at the Berkeley Turkish School since 2015 commemorating and celebrating Turkey’s most important day.

We thank you all for being a part of these celebrations, and hope that you are well.

“Cumhuriyet Bayamınız Kutlu Olsun.”

Bay Area Turkish Society