ANKARA - Senior Turkish statesmen, led by President Abdullah Gul, visited on Monday Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Ataturk, founder of Republic of Turkey, on the occasion of May 19th, Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth & Sports Day.
President Gul laid a wreath at the mausoleum and then wrote on the special book of Anitkabir.
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Chief Judge of the Constitutional Court Hasim Kilic, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, main opposition Republican People's Party Chairman Deniz Baykal, opposition Nationalist Movement Party Chairman Devlet Bahceli, ministers and other high level officials were in attendance at the ceremony.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan could not attend the ceremony because of a health problem with his eye, Prime Ministry Press Office said in a statement. Erdogan was represented by State Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek.
(TÇ-AY)