Ankara (TDI): Türkiye is celebrating the Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, on Tuesday, with ceremonies and festivities held across the country, marking the historic beginning of the nation’s War of Independence.
May 19, 1919 was the day when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk arrived in the Black Sea city of Samsun from Istanbul to launch the war that four years later transformed the nation into modern Türkiye.
Atatürk had been assigned as inspector general of the Ottoman armies in Anatolia at a time when Istanbul was under Allied occupation. Acting against orders from the Ottoman authorities, he initiated the movement that grew into the War of Independence.
He attached great importance to the date he set foot in Samsun and considered May 19 his own birthday when asked to provide an exact date.
In 1938, Atatürk dedicated May 19 to the youth of the Turkish nation as Youth and Sports Day; a national holiday that sees young people take part in sporting and cultural activities with official ceremonies across the country.
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This year, young people from all 81 provinces of Türkiye arrived in Samsun aboard the TCG Anadolu, the nation’s largest domestically built military ship, carrying the Turkish flag.
The flag was then ceremoniously handed over to soldiers, linking past and present in a tribute to national unity and pride.
At Tobacco Pier in Samsun, where Atatürk first set foot on in 1919, a Turkish flag symbolizing his legacy was brought ashore in a heartfelt ceremony, before being carried by scouts to the Athletics Stadium, accompanied by military, police, and fire brigade vehicles.
In Istanbul, ceremonies began with a wreath-laying at the Republic Monument in Taksim and concluded with a cultural program at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall, featuring official speeches, youth performances, and award presentations to students.
In Cappadocia, dozens of hot air balloons displaying Turkish flags and Atatürk portraits flew across the skies for about an hour and a half, drawing wonder from domestic and international tourists alike.
Tüm gençlerimizin 19 Mayıs Atatürk’ü Anma, Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı’nı tebrik ediyor; ülkemizde ve yurt dışında yaşayan gençlerimizin tamamına selamlarımı, sevgilerimi gönderiyorum.
Millî Mücadele’nin başkomutanı Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’ü ve silah arkadaşlarını, Peygamber… pic.twitter.com/1BlwfmMfgI
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) May 19, 2026
The day is being celebrated under the theme “Türkiye’s Strength is its Youth,” with simultaneous festivals held in city squares across the country. Events organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports are set to continue through Thursday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a message shared via the Communications Directorate, stressed the importance of safeguarding the national legacy while advancing the country’s standing on the world stage.
He also outlined commitments to support young people across fields including science, arts, sports, diplomacy, and nuclear technologies.
Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak echoed those sentiments, declaring that the current generation would become the scientists, engineers, and academics who represent Türkiye in what his government calls the “Century of Türkiye.”
