90th anniversary of Erzurum congress marked

As part of his visit to the eastern Anatolia province of Ezurum yesterday, President Abdullah Gul attended an official ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of the Erzurum Congress, a gathering which paved the way for the Turkish War of Independence and the later establishment of the Republic of Turkey. Sitting in the original building used by the congress, Gul, along with a delegation and local officials, watched the Erzurum State Theatre put on a play dramatizing the events 90 years ago. Speaking at the ceremony, Gul said Turkey should never forget the bravery its forebears showed in the struggle for independence, and should understand and appreciate the importance and meaning of these efforts through deep patriotism. Held on July 23-August 4, 1919, the Erzurum Congress was an assembly of political, intellectual, bureaucratic, military and other distinguished figures from across Turkey seeking to save the nation from foreign occupation. The congress united delegates from five eastern provinces (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire, many parts of which were under foreign occupation at the time. Fifty-six delegates from the vilayets of Bitlis, Erzurum, Sivas, Trabzon and Van gathered in Erzurum for the congress held under the auspices of Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Ataturk) and Kazim Karabekir Pasha and took a number of important decisions that shaped the Turkish War of Independence. Gul also toured several construction sites in the city, which is preparing to host the 2011 Universade Games, and visited the provincial military headquarters.