Festivities started at 7 a.m., the hour of Atatürk’s arrival in Samsun, with gun salutes and will continue throughout the day all over the country, in Turkish embassies and in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).Festivities in Ankara will start with an official ceremony to be held in Atatürk’s mausoleum, Anıtkabir, presided over by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Afterwards young people will hold a number of activities during the ceremony to be organized at the 19 Mayıs Stadium. Education Ministry Hüseyin Çelik and a student, representing the youth of Turkey, will deliver a speech.
Flags brought from Samsun and Thessaloniki will be presented to Sezer. The Turkish Aviation Association (THK) will organize a parachuting show. Folk groups, scouts, disabled people and other groups will put on a parade. Following the parade there will be field and stage shows. Due to the festivities security measures have been increased and traffic patterns have been altered. Roads in the vicinities of the ceremony and festivity fields will be closed to traffic, according to the Ankara Governorate.
