Türkiye on Friday commemorated the 85th anniversary of the passing of the country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Turkish people nationwide came to a halt for two minutes' contemplation to pay their respects to the deeply revered first president of the republic, which just last month marked its 100th anniversary. At 9.05 am (0605GMT), sirens wailed across the country to mark the exact moment of Atatürk's death at the age of 57. Around the country, people stopped in the streets or stood silently at their workplaces to remember Atatürk. At the Anıtkabir mausoleum overlooking the capital Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among those to lay a wreath at Atatürk's resting place. Also taking part in the annual ceremony at Anıtkabir were main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, members of the presidential Cabinet, heads of top judicial bodies, Turkish Armed Forces commanders, political party representatives, bureaucrats, and other state officials.
