"Atatürk Memorial, Youth and Sports Day" is the official holiday of Türkiye, celebrated annually on May 19. It commemorates the nation's founding leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's landing in the northern city of Samsun on May 19, 1919, which marked the start of the Turkish War of Independence. Atatürk dedicated this day to the Turkish youth.
Initially known as "Youth and Sports Day," it was renamed to "Atatürk Memorial, Youth and Sports Day" in 1981. First lady Emine Erdoğan shared the following message on her social media account on the occasion of the historic day: "Youth is a nation's most precious treasure, independence can only be preserved through the determination and resolve of the youth, I sincerely wish a happy May 19, Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth, and Sports Day to all the young people who work for a strong Türkiye with love for their country, appreciating the value of the heritage they have been entrusted with." Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak visited Atatürk's mausoleum Anıtkabir in the capital Ankara with representative youths and athletes to commemorate the day.
Bak and the accompanying delegation walked to Atatürk's mausoleum from the Lion Road alongside young people carrying Turkish flags. After laying a wreath at the mausoleum, Bak observed a moment of silence and the national anthem was sung, following which he signed the Anıtkabir Special Ledger at the National Pact Tower. Bak wrote the following message in the Anıtkabir.