Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate with the Australian-Turkish community and congratulate them on the 87th anniversary of the Turkish republic’s national day on 29 October. Republic Day in Turkey commemorates the creation of the Turkish republic back in 1923. I grew up in the suburb of Broadmeadows along with a large Australian-Turkish community. I was welcomed into their homes, learnt parts of their language and ate their food. They became my friends, my team mates, my classmates and my neighbours for years to come. As an Australian, I quickly learned of the great contribution that the Turkish community have made to our multicultural society. The Turkish community, like so many others, have brought with them more labour, skills and business ideas and they have helped shape our great nation.

After Turkey’s victory in the war of independence, the Turkish parliament proclaimed the new Turkish state as a republic. In turn, a new constitution was adopted on 29 October 1923 and the leader in the Turkish war of independence, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, became the country’s first president on that same day. These events will be celebrated this Friday and I extend my congratulations to the country of Turkey and particularly our Australian-Turkish community here in Australia.