CELEBRATIONS IN TURKEY

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33370, 31 October 1973, Page 17

CELEBRATIONS IN TURKEY

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) ANKARA, October 30. The Turkish Republic has begun her lavish fiftieth anniversary celebrations with a simple, sombre ceremony at the tomb of its founder, Kemal Ataturk.

There were barely a dozen: spectators on hand as President Koruturk, who is 70, flanked by leaders of the eight political parties, laid a wreath at the foot of the; imposing mausoleum to Ata-( turk, “The Father of the! Turks,” who died in 1938. ( Later, in a message written in the book of con-, doience. the President re-1 ferred to the country’s debt! to Ataturk, who built mod- : era Turkey out of the debris!: of the First World War. (i

The message read: "You created a strong Turke}’ in j which the world ' had I confidence after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.” For the next few days there will be parades, exhibitions, firework displays,: and patriotic speeches ’inj flag-decked towns and villages throughout the sprawl-1

ing country of 38 million people. The celebrations include the opening of the Bosphorus Bridge, the world’s fourth-longest suspension bridge, linking Asia and Europe, in Istanbul. Symbolically, the bridge represents Ataturk’s aim of closer (links with Europe, j The anniversary has been given added poignancy and I significance because it (coincides with the elections land the return to full deimocracy after 2| years of; (backstage rule by the mili-l

i tary. 11 The celebrations were ji marred when 23 people were ;! killed and 53 were injured as two buses collided at ; high speeo near Gerede, on . the Istanbul-Ankara highway .(last night. Firemen using i(cutting gear worked through . : the night to free bodies from . Ithe tangled wreckage.