August 30 Victory Day

President Abdullah Gül and First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül hosted a reception to mark the August 30 Victory Day for the first time at the Çankaya Presidential Palace. High state officials and many other invitees from different circles in society attented the reception hosted by the First Couple. 

President Gül and the First Lady welcomed their guests in front of the reception hall. 

Attending the reception were TBMM Speaker Cemil Çiçek; PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife Emine Erdoğan; Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel and his wife Kamuran Özel; Deputies PM Bekir Bozdağ, Beşir Atalay and Ali Babacan; ministers; Commanders of the Armed Forces; families of martyrs; war veterans; academicians; businessmen, athletes who won medals in international competitions; ambassadors; columnists, writers; military officials and representatives of NGOs. 

The President, following the guest welcoming which lasted almost one hour, said this was the first time he had hosted an outdoor reception at the Çankaya Presidential Palace.