Lockdown Forces Turkey to Scrap Grand Anniversary Celebrations

The Turkish parliament was founded during the Turkish war of Independence, led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and which resulted in the establishment of the modern Turkish republic and the abolition of the old sultanate and caliphate.

The event was gifted to Turkish children by Ataturk and has since been marked as National Sovereignty and Children's Day. Grandiose celebrations were planned for the centenary.

However, almost all the celebrations have now been cancelled under the government's measures to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit Turkey like the rest of the world.

Turkey imposed a four-days general curfew between April 23 and 26 in 31 of its largest cities, using the opportunity to merge national holiday and the weekend.

Marking the day, the Speaker of Parliament, party leaders, law makers, soldiers and top officials marched with protective masks to Anitkabir, the memorial tomb of the founder of the republic, Ataturk

The delegation later held symbolic sessions in the first parliament in Ankara's historical Ulus district and in today's parliament building.

"We wished to celebrate our 100th anniversary with grandiose celebrations and with millions of citizens but we had to postpone all the events because of the novel coronavirus outbreak," Mustafa Sentop, Speaker of Parliament, said in his speech in parliament.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not attend any of the remaining events.

Turkish people decorated their balconies and windows with Turkish flags, pictures of Ataturk and children's drawings.

At 9pm, people will sing the national anthem from their balconies and windows and there will be light and firework shows in Ankara and other cities.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and other MPs...