An official ceremony took place in Ankara on Sunday at Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Parliament Speaker İsmet Yılmaz, interim Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Constitutional Court President Zühtü Arslan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, Republican People`s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Deputy Prime Ministers Numan Kurtulmuş, Yalçın Akdoğan and Tuğrul Türkeş and other interim government members attended the ceremony.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli did not attend the official ceremony in Ankara.

Erdoğan laid a wreath at Atatürk`s mausoleum, and the group later observed a minute of silence, which was followed by the recitation of the “İstiklal Marşı,” the national anthem.

In his remarks in the Anıtkabir memorial guest book, Erdoğan wrote: “No internal or external power that aims to threaten the country`s existence will overshadow the independence and future of the country.”

During the ceremony, a drone that was being used to cover the event led to a brief crisis. According to media reports, some military officers who saw the drone flying above Atatürk`s tomb went to Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) cameramen and reportedly said they would down the drone if it does not belong to the TRT. The officers also asked the cameramen to contact TRT headquarters to verify the ownership of the drone.

The crisis was resolved when the TRT confirmed it was in fact its own.

Apart from the official ceremony held at Anıtkabir in Ankara, Victory Day was also marked by various activities across Turkey on Sunday.

A ceremony was held at İstanbul`s Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) on the occasion of Victory Day. President Erdoğan also attended the ceremony. Giving a speech at the event, Erdoğan said he wants “one nation, one flag, one motherland, one state” in Turkey.

There was low participation in official ceremonies in some cities such as Adana and Aydın. For instance, only 100 people attended the official ceremony held in Adana, which has a population of 2 million. The low participation rates are attributed to a circular that forbid festivals, concerts and celebrations to be held on Victory Day.

The Prime Minister`s Office released a circular declaring that festivals, concerts and celebrations were forbidden on Victory Day due to the increase in acts of terrorism across Turkey. The circular was published in the Official Gazette on Friday.

“Due to the acts of terrorism that have been taking place in recent weeks, Aug. 30, Victory Day, will only be marked by wreath-laying activities and commemorations. Festivals, concerts and celebrations are prohibited from taking place on this day,” the circular said.

Victory Day marks the final battle in the Turkish War of Independence in 1922 led by Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.

Victory Day is an official holiday and many shops, businesses and government buildings are usually closed on the day. Military parades are held in major cities and Turks hang Turkish flags and pictures of Atatürk to mark the occasion.

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