Erdogan opts for a low-key celebration of Turkey’s 100th anniversary as a secular republic

By SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey is marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of the modern, secular republic from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire with few pageantries and no gala reception to memorialize the important milestone. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has opted for a low-key celebration of the centennial on Sunday, which comes months after a devastating earthquake killed 50,000 people and coincides with the Israeli-Hamas war. The subdued affair, however, has caused dismay among many in Turkey who believe Erdogan’s government is trying to undermine the legacy of the republic’s founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. They see the lack of pomp and fanfare as an attempt by the government to erase Ataturk’s memory.