On 18 March, an event was held in Ashgabat to mark the Day of the Adoption of the Turkish National Anthem and the Day of Remembrance for Mehmet Akif Ersoy. This was reported by the Orient news agency.

The ceremony took place at the Turkish Cultural Centre at the country’s Embassy. Participants honoured the memory of the fallen with a minute’s silence, after which the national anthems were played. Ahmet Demirok, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkey to Turkmenistan, delivered a welcoming speech.

During the programme, the military attaché, Colonel Sedat Kirmizi, presented a report on the events of the Battle of Gallipoli. A video about the life and creative legacy of Mehmet Akif Ersoy, prepared by Bekir Shirin, a representative of the Turkish Ministry of National Education, was also shown.

A key element of the event was the performance of the oratorio ‘Çanakkale Zaferi’ (‘Victory at Çanakkale’). The programme concluded with an awards ceremony.