Republic Day is the day of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923 . It is a national holiday in Turkey and is celebrated with various celebrations every year . After Turkey ’ s victory in the War of Independence ( 1919-1923 ), the Turkish parliament proclaimed the new Turkish state as a republic . The leader in the Turkish War of Independence , Mustafa Kemal Atatürk , became the country ’ s first president on the same day .