Turkey’s top statesmen except Erdogan paid respect to Ataturk, founder of the Republic

Turkey’s top statesmen all but one with the ecxeption of PM Erdogan attended ceremonies today honoring the 74th anniversary of modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s death at Anıtkabir, Ankara.

ANKARA / NationalTurk – Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Parliament head Cemil Cicek, main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Deputy Presidents Bulent Arinc and Bekir Bozdag and others were all present at Anıtkabir in Ankara, where Ataturk’s monumental tomb lies.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not attend the ceremonies due to his very impoertant commitments in Indonesia. Turks think he fled the country in order to escape the ceremonies.

Thousands of policemen, were positioned at Anitkabir. Again controvesry was afoot as it was blocked by AKP government hunderd thousands of Turks wanted to march to Anıtkabir in a showdown of solidarity and secularism.