Turkey commemorates national Teachers’ Day

Turkey on Friday celebrated national Teachers' Day, which marks the day in 1928 when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey's founder, was given the title of 'Head Teacher'.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a message emphasising the importance of teachers in society.

"Societies which fail to give teachers the value they deserve and fail to show necessary sincerity in the face of their devotion will have no future," Erdogan said.

National Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz and 81 teachers from 81 provinces of Turkey on Friday paid their respects at Ataturk's grand mausoleum complex in Ankara, Anitkabir, which also houses a museum.

The Directorate of National Education in Istanbul organised a ceremony on Taksim Square in Istanbul. 

The General Command of Gendarmerie posted a video on its official Twitter account to celebrate the day and to commemorate teachers killed by the PKK terrorist organisation.

"Teachers! The new generation will be your masterpiece,” the gendarmerie said, citing a well-known quote from Ataturk.

Teachers as PKK targets

On June 9, 22-year-old music teacher Senay Aybuke Yalcin was killed in a PKK attack as she was returning home from school in the Kozluk district of the southeastern province of Batman.

Another 23-year-old elementary school teacher also became a victim of a PKK attack around the same time. Necmettin Yilmaz was kidnapped by a group of PKK terrorists in Pulumur district of the eastern province of Tunceli.

His burnt-out vehicle was found on June 16. His body was recovered almost a month later.

Teachers' Day has been celebrated in Turkey every November 24 since 1981.