ISLAMABAD : 29 Oct 2026 – Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif, on the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye, extended heartfelt felicitations to, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Government and the brotherly people of Türkiye.
Prime Minister in his message said, ” Türkiye’s proud history, rich heritage and remarkable journey as a Republic reflect the resilience, courage and indomitable spirit of its people. Pakistan and Türkiye share an exceptional bond of brotherhood, rooted in common history, mutual trust and unwavering solidarity.”
” Our enduring friendship, which continues to expand in scope and substance, transcends borders and generations, strengthened by our shared values and common aspirations,” he noted.
Prime Minister said, “As we join the people of Türkiye to celebrate this momentous occasion, I am confident that Pakistan and Türkiye will continue to work together to advance peace and stability in our region and beyond.”
He wished, May the eternal Pakistan–Türkiye brotherhood continue to grow from strength to strength!
Yaşasın Pakistan–Türkiye Kardeşliği!
(Long live Pakistan–Türkiye brotherhood!)
@RTErdogan
The Founding of the Republic of Türkiye — 29 October 1923
— Cumhuriyet Bayramı. The Republic of Türkiye was proclaimed on 29 October 1923 at 8:30 pm by the Grand National Assembly (TBMM) in Ankara, with the unanimous vote of 158 deputies, ending 623 years of Ottoman rule.
Road to the Republic:
The journey began after World War I, when large parts of Anatolia were occupied by Allied powers. Mustafa Kemal Pasha landed in Samsun on 19 May 1919, launching the War of Independence. The Erzurum and Sivas Congresses (1919) united the national movement under the principle of national sovereignty.
On 23 April 1920, the TBMM opened in Ankara, declaring “Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the Nation” — effectively creating a new state. After victories in İnönü, Sakarya and the Great Offensive, and the Treaty of Lausanne (24 July 1923) which secured international recognition of new Turkish borders, the form of government remained unresolved.
On the evening of 28 October 1923, at his Çankaya residence, Mustafa Kemal told close associates: “Yarın Cumhuriyet ilan edeceğiz — Tomorrow we will declare the Republic.” With İsmet Pasha, he drafted a constitutional amendment. The next day, the TBMM amended six articles of the 1921 Constitution.
Article 1 became:
“Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the Nation. The form of government of the Turkish state is a republic.”The same evening, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was unanimously elected the first President of the Republic.
More Than a Name Change:
The proclamation was not just a political change. It was the start of Atatürk’s Revolutions — abolition of Sultanate (1922) and Caliphate (1924), secular civil and penal codes, adoption of Latin alphabet, women’s suffrage in 1934, and modern education.
Ankara had been declared capital on 13 October 1923. A 1925 law made 29 October a national holiday — Ulusal Bayram.
Today, from Anıtkabir in Ankara to torchlight processions in Kastamonu and Istanbul’s Bosphorus, Türkiye celebrates the idea that transformed an occupied empire into a modern, secular, sovereign republic: Egemenlik Kayıtsız Şartsız Milletindir.
