World Bulletin/News Desk

Turkish prime minister said on Saturday that this year's May 19 Commemoration of Ataturk, and Youth and Sports Day celebrations was a change and transformation.      

Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that tanks, municipal vehicles or the like were not staging a parade in this year's May 19 celebrations.      

"There is a festival, young people and sportive events on this day today," Erdogan said as he received young people all around Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).      

Erdogan said this was how a festival was celebrated, the former celebrations were those that could be seen in iron curtain countries.      

"This May 19 indicates a change and transformation," Erdogan also said.     

"Turkey not to permit terrorism"

Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan als said that Turks, Kurds, Laz people, Circassian, Georgian, Abkhasian, Roma people and Bosnians would be in solidarity, and would not permit terrorism.     

"Real members of this nation will eliminate these gangs which betray them sooner or later," Erdogan said.      

Erdogan said Turkey would continue to counter terrorists, adding that Turkey would continue to boost brotherhood, unity and solidarity.      

The Commemoration of Ataturk and Youth & Sports Day is an annual Turkish national holiday celebrated on May 19 to memorialize the start of the Turkish War of Independence.      

May 19, 1919 is the day Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who would become independent Turkey's first president, landed on the main peninsula of Turkey to begin leadership of the liberation effort. In early 1920, Ataturk convened the first Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara, and by 1922 all of Anatolia was freed from foreign rule. The independent Republic of Turkey was declared a year later.      

During the course of his term as president, Ataturk himself proclaimed May 19 as "Youth & Sports Day". In the aftermath of Ataturk's monumental legacy, the day serves to honor the country's founder.