By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The Turkish flag was raised in New York City as part of an event to mark the Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day, a milestone marking the beginning of the country's War of Independence.
Türkiye's Ambassador to the US, Sedat Onal, joined Turkish Americans, city and consular officers for the flag raising on Wall Street, one of the most important financial centers in the world.
The event saw the attendance of Türkiye's UN envoy Ahmet Yildiz, Consul General Reyhan Ozgur, diplomats and members of the Turkish American community.
May 19, 1919, was the day when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was later the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, arrived in the Black Sea city of Samsun from Istanbul to launch the war that four years later transformed the nation into modern Türkiye.
In 1938, Ataturk dedicated May 19 to the youth of the Turkish nation as Youth and Sports Day -- a national holiday that sees young people take part in sporting and cultural activities with official ceremonies across the country.
The 41st Turkish Day Parade, which was first held in 1981 in response to the assassination of Turkish diplomats by the Armenian terror group, ASALA, started on Friday with a flag-raising ceremony.
As part of the parade, the “Century of Türkiye Exhibition” is being held at the Turkevi (Turkish House) in New York City.
The exhibition will incorporate three-dimensional projections on custom digital giant screens, which will provide insight into the accomplishments of Türkiye during the previous century.
On Saturday, the parade will kick off on Madison Avenue and 38th Street in New York City in the morning and conclude at Madison Square Park.
Along the route of the Turkish Day Parade, the janissary band of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will perform renditions of Ottoman Turkish music.