ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday marked the 105th anniversary of the adoption of Türkiye’s national anthem, commemorating national poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy.

In a post on Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Erdogan said Türkiye’s national anthem represents the most concise symbol of the nation’s shared values and its common vision for the past and the future.

He commemorated Ersoy, who wrote the anthem, with mercy and expressed gratitude to the members of parliament who adopted it, describing the anthem as “the title deed of not only our independence but also our future.”

Erdogan also prayed for mercy upon all martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the homeland, particularly during the War of Independence, as well as for veterans.

“As President of Türkiye, as Chairman of the AK Party, and above all as a son of this noble and honorable nation, I declare once again today that we will defend our National Anthem and our independence until our last breath, and that we will shield them with our chests if necessary,” Erdogan stressed.