ANKARA

 Thousands of people flocked to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara Monday to commemorate the 76th death anniversary of the founding father of Republic of Turkey.

The commemoration ceremonies took place across the country, but the center of attraction was the grand mausoleum complex that also houses a museum.

Even though decades have passed since his death, the love of the Turkish people for Ataturk has grown with each passing day, which was evident in the mammoth crowds that gathered since early morning at his final resting place in the capital's Anıtkabir.

People from all walks of life, men and women, walked with flowers in their hands, which they placed on Ataturk’s sarcophagus inside the tomb.

Many also wore badges, scarves and some even draped themselves with the Turkish flag to display their love for Ataturk and Turkey.

Many student unions, groups and school children came to Anıtkabir, and some even set camp on the footsteps of the mausoleum, where they chanted slogans of love and respect for Ataturk. Many groups also broke into spontaneous bursts of Turkey’s national anthem as they reached near the steps.

Ugurcan Kalenderoglu, a 22-year-old student in Sabanci University, told Anadolu Agency his 1907 UNIFEB club that comprises around 3,000 students comes to Anitkabir every year to pay their respects.

"Even though we have mid-term exams at our school, we came here to give our tribute to Ataturk," Kalenderoglu said.

While the majority of the people were the youth, there were also many senior Turkish people in the crowd as well, who made the effort to walk the long distance to pay their respects.

Leyla Tacer, a 72-year-old retired economist, said it was an extremely important day in the history of Turkey.

"Ataturk gave us a free country by fighting against our enemies with his comrades," Tacer said.

"I come here every October 29 and November 10 to pay my respect, even though I suffer from rheumatism," she said.

Turkey celebrates its Republic Day on October 29.

Halil Yilmaz, 62, said the anniversary was also a sad day for the Turkish people because they lost a great leader on that day.

"Ataturk gave the Turkish people their independence," Yilmaz said.

Members of the Ankara Segmens Club, a group that dresses up in traditional Turkish clothes, in an ancient guard unit in Anatolian Seljuks, also appeared on the footsteps of the mausoleum.

Atay Sagtekin, member of the club, said "We are a group of 49 Segmens here comprising of retired engineers, civil servants, bureaucrats…We are here to represent the old fashion along with the new one."

Apart from paying respects to Ataturk, many also said a prayer for the first prime minister of Turkey, Ismet Inonu, whose sarcophagus is also at the grand mausoleum. 

Ataturk was born in 1881 in Thessaloniki in what was then the Ottoman Empire. He made his mark in the military in 1915 when he led the forces that repelled the allied invasion in Canakkale, known in the West as the Dardanelles.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, Ataturk led the Turkish War of Independence, which defeated European powers. When he became president, Ataturk transformed the former empire into a modern and secular country.

Ataturk passed away on November 10, 1938, at the age of 57.

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