The 16th CYDD Contemporary Youth Traditional Anıtkabir Meeting was held on Saturday, December 7, under the leadership of the Contemporary Youth Central Unit, ÇYDD Ankara branches and Youth Units, with the contributions of the Cagdas Yasami Destekleme Dern

The 16th CYDD Contemporary Youth Traditional Anıtkabir Meeting was held on Saturday, December 7, under the leadership of the Contemporary Youth Central Unit, ÇYDD Ankara branches and Youth Units, with the contributions of the Cagdas Yasami Destekleme Dernegi Headquarters.

The 16th CYDD Contemporary Youth Traditional Anıtkabir Meeting was held on Saturday, December 7, under the leadership of the Contemporary Youth Central Unit, ÇYDD Ankara branches and Youth Units, with the contributions of the Cagdas Yasami Destekleme Dernegi Headquarters. Contemporary Youth said to Atatürk once again, “We Are Here!” on the 101st anniversary of the Republic.

The program held at Anıtkabir was attended by CYDD General President Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel, CYDD General Directorate Board Members, Branch Directorate Board Members and more than 3500 young people from nearly 100 CYDD branches. Meeting at Tandoğan Square in the morning, Contemporary Youth began walking from Aslanlı Yol to Anıtkabir. Afterwards, a wreath with the inscription “Cagdas Yasami Destekleme Dernegi” was laid at the Mausoleum with an official ceremony and a moment of silence was observed.

Following the moment of silence, Contemporary Youth General Facilitator Ali Çolak signed the Anıtkabir book, stating Contemporary Youth’s determination to protect the Republic and to be loyal to Atatürk.

Contemporary Youth General Facilitator Ali Çolak made the following statements in his speech as the “Message of the Youth”:

‘’Eternal Commander-in-Chief,

Today, we are in your presence as the Contemporary Youth, the individuals of this country who have been condemned to community dormitories, who have felt the inequality of opportunity in education to their core, whose social rights have been restricted, whose years of hard work have been ignored with the words “If they go, let them go”; who have lost their intellectual minds one by one due to economic, political and many other reasons!,

In these dark days when the mention of your name is considered grounds for dismissal from the Turkish Armed Forces, we declare once again that we are the unflinching guardians of your legacy. In this period when secularism is openly challenged and educational institutions are under siege by religious sects and communities, we never give up on our determination to defend the secular Republic. While women are being murdered all over our country every day, we defend the rights and honor of women by saying, “Heroic Turkish woman, you do not deserve to crawl on the ground; you deserve to rise to the skies on shoulders.” In this process when even the constitutional order is up for debate, it is our indispensable responsibility to remind the principles that “The State of Turkey is an indivisible whole with its country and nation. Its language is Turkish. Its flag is the red flag with a white crescent star. Its national anthem is the ‘Independence March’. Its capital is Ankara” and to protect these values. Today, our homeland may be surrounded on all sides by terrorist organizations and centers that target the territorial integrity of the Republic of Turkey; Millions of irregular immigrants may have been settled in the heart of our country with the aim of disrupting the demographic structure of the country. Although wrong policies that disregard the welfare of the people, especially in the economy and education, deepen these problems, we are determined to carry the values ​​of the Republic and our nation's struggle for independence into the future.

We are young people who take justice as their guide with your motto, “There are no hopeless situations, there are hopeless people”, who are devoted to secular and democratic values, and who burn with the fire of independence. With the inspiration we receive from your principles and the guidance of our teacher Türkan, we embrace the founding values ​​of the Republic and never back down from the struggle for a bright future. Today, as Çağdaş Gençlik, we continue to work together for a better Turkey, without bowing to any difficulties, in your presence for the 16th time.

We declare once more from this podium: We will continue to struggle shoulder to shoulder to create a country full of freedom and equality, which will not disappoint your trust in us.

We swear to walk on the path you have opened, towards the goal you have shown, without stopping!’’

Because we know that, “The power we need exists in the noble blood in our veins.”

With gratitude and an indescribable longing that grows every passing day.