Turkey Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) - October 29, the 1923 founding of the Republic of Turkey
Turkey Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) on October 29 is a federal public holiday in Turkey marking the 1923 proclamation of the Republic of Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Grand National Assembly. The 29th is the principal day, with the 28th as the eve celebration; the day is marked by official ceremonies, military parades, and school events nationwide.
Federal holidayPublished October 18, 2026
- Observed in
- Where observed
- When
- October
- Frequency
- Same date every year
- Days off
- 1 day - federal workers / banks off
- Public status
- Federal / public holiday (banks + federal offices closed)
Turkey Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) on October 29 is a federal public holiday in Turkey marking the 1923 proclamation of the Republic of Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Grand National Assembly. The 29th is the principal day, with the 28th as the eve celebration; the day is marked by official ceremonies, military parades, and school events nationwide.
The one-line summary
Federal public holiday on October 29, observed every year. Marks the 1923 proclamation of the Republic of Turkey. Federal category, iconic tier. The principal civic-founding observance of the Turkish calendar.
Origin
The Republic of Turkey was proclaimed on October 29, 1923, by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Grand National Assembly in Ankara. The proclamation followed the 1922 abolition of the Sultanate (which had been in place since the 15th century), the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne (which established Turkey's modern borders), and the 1923 separation of the Caliphate. The Republic was declared a secular, parliamentary, representative state. Atatürk became the first President.
The founding of the Republic is the principal ideological and institutional anchor of the modern Turkish state. The 1924 Constitution established the Republican framework that the 1982 Constitution (drafted after the 1980 military coup) further codified. The day was gazetted as a public holiday in 1925 by the Grand National Assembly, and the observation has continued continuously since, including during periods of coalition governments and military interventions.
When it falls
Turkey Republic Day is fixed on October 29, the date of the 1923 proclamation. The 28th is the eve celebration (Cumhuriyet Bayramı Arifesi), which is a half-day from 1:00 PM onward under the Labour Act. There is no lunar or movable component. The day does not vary by region: it is observed nationwide in all 81 provinces of Turkey. If October 29 falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is typically designated as a substitute day off.
How it is observed
The principal observance is the ceremony at the Anıtkabir (Atatürk's Mausoleum) in Ankara, where the President, Prime Minister, and senior officials lay wreaths on Atatürk's tomb. The ceremony is accompanied by a 21-gun salute and a procession of military and civilian officials. Wreaths are also laid at the graves of İsmet İnönü (Atatürk's closest collaborator and the second President) and at monuments to the Turkish War of Independence in other cities.
Military parades are held in major cities including Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, and Bursa. The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) airs special programming including the film "Çanakkale 1915" and other historical documentaries. Cities are decorated with Turkish flags and Atatürk posters. Schools and universities host ceremonies with readings of the 10th Year Speech (Nutuk) and the national anthem (İstiklal Marşı). The Turkish Armed Forces perform flyovers in major cities.
Legal status
October 29 has been a federal public holiday in Turkey since 1925, when the day was gazetted by the Grand National Assembly. The day is a paid day off for all federal and private-sector employees under the Labour Act (İş Kanunu). Banks, schools, and most businesses close. The 28th is the eve celebration (Cumhuriyet Bayramı Arifesi), which is a half-day from 1:00 PM onward. Working on October 29 requires 200% of the regular daily rate. The 1982 Constitution designates October 29 as Republic Day in Article 28.
Where it is contested
Turkey Republic Day is broadly observed and is regarded as the principal civic-founding observance of the Turkish calendar. There is no significant debate about the 1923 founding itself, but the contemporary meaning of the Republic (secular, parliamentary, vs. religious, presidential) is the subject of ongoing political discussion. The 2017 constitutional referendum, which established the presidential system, was preceded by debates about the legacy of the Republican framework. Republic Day observances in 2023 (the 100th anniversary) were particularly extensive.
Related Turkish holidays
October 29 falls in the late-October cluster of the Turkish calendar, after Victory Day (August 30) and before the year-end cluster of religious observances. The August 30 / October 29 cluster is the principal civic-military observances of the Republican calendar. The day is followed by the Atatürk Memorial Day (November 10), which is not a federal holiday but is observed with a moment of silence at 09:05 AM (the time of Atatürk's death in 1938). The Islamic lunar holidays (Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha) shift through the Gregorian calendar each year and may overlap with Republic Day in some years.
Sources
- Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, official public holidays and observances.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, founding of the Republic of Turkey and Atatürk's reforms.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Republic Day observances and historical record.
- TRT World, coverage of Republic Day ceremonies.