My fellow citizens,

Dear friends,

We are celebrating the 89th anniversary of the Proclamation of our Republic today.  This is the date when our proud nation has declared to the world that it has assumed control of its destiny.  I am grateful to be able to enjoy this celebration together with you this proud anniversary of our Republic.

We all remember under how difficult conditions our Republic was established and at the cost of what sacrifices our forefathers endured this process. We all owe our current power to those sacrifices. If we have the potential to become a regional power and can aspire to become a global one at some point, it is because of these sacrifices.

Of course our modern state has not been established in one day. Republic means a procession of reforms and revolutions in social and civil fields. These reforms were heralded by the Proclamation of the Turkish Republic.  They continue even today.

Our Republic has also been an inspiration to other oppressed peoples who realized that they should never, ever give up, even in the face of the supreme power of their adversaries and that success inevitably belongs to those who are determined to achieve it.  In this sense, the Turkish Republic is a guiding light for others too.

We need now, more than ever, to display our unity and solidarity.  It is time we have proved these to friend and foe alike.  If we could establish a powerful country under so much difficulty at the turn of the previous century, we can certainly attain, surpass, even the level of contemporary civilization, as our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

I would like to end my words with offering hearty thanks to our veterans and heartfelt prayers to our fallen and all those who worked and sacrificed a lot to help bring about our Republic. May our Republic be celebrated and exist for ever.