A 100 years ago today, Turkey started a new chapter on freedom and catching up with the realities of the 20th century.
We owe who we are today to that vision. The lives of many generations have changed as a result.
30 years ago, I came to Tokyo from Niigata for the first time to stay for a few days together with a few Turkish friends. I ate sushi for the first time in Ryogoku near the Edo Tokyo Museum. We visited the Embassy too to celebrate the republic. With our elementary level of Japanese, we asked the JR station staff at the Harajuku Station Takashita Street Exit about the directions to the Embassy but didn't receive a positive response. It was tough to find directions without a Google map.
I visited the Embassy many times after moving to Tokyo but the first time on October 29, 1993 was special.
Of course, I also remember when I was in primary and junior highschool. We would go to parade, play in a brass band and greet the high ranking officers.
Many memories keep coming up today.