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29 October, one of the most important turning points in near Turkish history and the
82nd anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
was celebrated with many different ways by different Turkish Organisations in UK.
Young Turks Celebrate Republic Day
‘Young Turks Club' celebrated the Republic Day on the Queen Elizabeth Boat on the 29th of October 2005.
On the night 157 people gathered to celebrate the event and the Queen Elizabeth Boat started its cruise just after 7.00pm.
Republic Day celebrations began with an open buffet dinner for the guests. After buffet, Vice Consul Murat Kaya and Chairman
of the Young Turks Club made their speeches on the meaning of the day. Within the framework of 82nd Republic Day celebrations
at Queen Elizabeth, guests sang marches together with great enthusiasm and the night ended with traditional Turkish dance performance
'Halay' while young Turks waving and fluttering the Turkish Flag in the air. 
Vice Consul Murat Kaya said these words to Professionals Insight: 'We gathered here today to
celebrate the 82nd anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic by great leader Ataturk and
his battlefield friends. After the establishment of the Republic, Turkish civilization came to a point where
it is today with the help of Ataturk's Reforms. Turkish public met with democracy and have performed so many
reforms and came to a level where now Turkey can join the EU'.
82 great years of Republic of Turkey brought Turkey to a point today where Turkey can join EU,
where EU can join Turkey, where there is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets,
as stated in the following quote by the great leader Ataturk regarding the Battle of Gallipoli in April 1915;
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest
in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours...
You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now living in our lands and are in peace.
Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."
METU Middle-Eastern Technical University (METU-UK) Alumni Association celebrated 29th October Republic Day at
Sofra Restaurant in Covent Garden. The turnout to the smart dress-code event was impressive. Some 70+ alumni of Middle East
Technical University living in UK had gathered there, some having come from as far as York and Wales.
The president Dr. Umut Genc made a speech informing the guests of the activities of the association to date,
in particular the METU-UK Hardship Fund. With donations from its members, the fund managed to provide scholarship
to 5 underprivileged METU students last year; which has increased to 9 students this year. At the end of the evening,
a charity box was passed on along the tables for contributions to the Hardship Fund.
Although informally active before, METU Alumni Association was officially founded a year ago on 29th October 2004 so
this evening was a double celebration for the association. Further information about the METU-UK and Hardship Fund can be found at www.metu-uk.org.
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