Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House on the anniversary of the 97th Republic Day of Turkey.
On October 29, 1923, Turkey was formally declared a republic. It was also the day the Republic of Turkey elected its first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Twenty-one years later, Canada and Turkey established diplomatic relations and now, in 2020, the Canadian Turkish community has grown to over 65,000 citizens.
Canadians of Turkish origin are a vibrant community, whose language, culture and traditions have enriched the social fabric of Canadian society. Organizations, such as the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations, among others, work hard to put on important events for the community, including International Children's Day. I want to acknowledge and thank them for their tremendous contributions to Canada. Canada is stronger because of our diversity, and the Turkish community has made us a stronger and better country.
I conclude by wishing a happy Republic Day to all those celebrating in Canada and abroad.