Turkish people come to halt for 2 minutes' contemplation to pay their respects to founding father Ataturk

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye on Friday commemorated the 85th anniversary of the passing of the country’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Turkish people nationwide came to a halt for two minutes' contemplation to pay their respects to the deeply revered first president of the republic, which just last month marked its 100th anniversary.

At 9.05 am (0605GMT), sirens wailed across the country to mark the exact moment of Ataturk’s death at the age of 57.

Around the country, people stopped in the streets or stood silently at their workplaces to remember Ataturk.

At the Anitkabir mausoleum overlooking the capital Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was among those to lay a wreath at Ataturk's resting place.

Also taking part in the annual ceremony at Anitkabir were main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, members of the presidential Cabinet, heads of top judicial bodies, Turkish Armed Forces commanders, political party representatives, bureaucrats, and other state officials.