Turkism Day

Turkism Day (Turkish: Türkçülük Günü) or Turkists' Day (Turkish: Türkçüler Günü) is celebrated on 3 May since 1945 in memory of the rallies in defense of Nihal Atsız,[1] who was prosecuted for defamation by Sabahattin Ali, whom Atsiz called a Soviet spy in an article he wrote.

[2] For the second hearing in his trial against Ali, Atsiz's supporters welcomed him arriving at Ankara train station, where they burned books by Ali and Nâzım Hikmet.

[3] Following the rally, many participants were arrested and some of them were defendants in the Racism Turanism trial.

[5] Reha Oğuz Türkkan, Atsız, Alparslan Türkeş, Nejdet Sançar and others, who were imprisoned in the Tophane Military prison, held a reunion on 3 May 1945 to remember the rallies in support of Atsız.

In 1967 the Union of Turkish Nationalists published a book in memory of Turkism day.