President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and members of the Supreme Military Council paid a visit to Anıtkabir (Atatürk’s Mausoleum) prior to the meeting of the Supreme Military Council.
President Erdoğan, accompanied by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi, Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Air Forces Commander Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu and Land Forces Commander Gen. Metin Tokel, proceeded to Atatürk’s tomb through the Road of Lions.
After President Erdoğan laid a wreath at the mausoleum, a moment of silence was observed and the national anthem was sung.
Later on, President Erdoğan wrote the following in the Anıtkabir Special Book at the Misak-ı Millî Tower:
“August Atatürk,
Today, we once again stand in your presence as the members of the Supreme Military Council prior to the Meeting 2026 of the Supreme Military Council. We commemorate with reverence Your Excellency and all our heroes who sacrificed their lives to ensure that our glorious flag flies proudly and our nation lives freely in these lands, which have been our homeland for nearly a thousand years since the Victory of Manzikert.
We hope that our Council meeting, which we hold amid escalating conflicts and tensions in our region, will lead to auspicious results for our country, our nation and the Turkish Armed Forces. With their high discipline, excellent sense of duty, commitment to national will, and increasing deterrent power, the Turkish Armed Forces continue to be a source of confidence for our nation in the challenging conjuncture we are going through.
Rest in peace!”
