ISLAMABAD, 30 October 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan felicitated Turkey on its 98th Republic Day, saying the "brotherly countries Pakistan and Turkey continue to transform long-standing ties into a strategic partnership".

On October 29, 1923, Ataturk officially declared the name of the nation and proclaimed the country's status as a republic.

A vote then took place in the Grand National Assembly, and Ataturk, a revolutionary statesman, was elected the first president of the Republic of Turkey by unanimous vote.

Since then, Turkey celebrates Republic Day on October 29 annually.

"Warm felicitations to brotherly gov[ernmen]t & ppl (people) of Turkey on 98th Republic Day," the premier wrote on his official Twitter handle.

He added that the prime minister said that the bonds between the two peoples were forged centuries ago. Firmly anchored in common faith, shared history & culture, we continue to transform our long-standing ties into [a] strategic partnership.”

In Turkey, celebrations in marking the occasion started on Friday with state officials' visit to Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the country's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in the capital Ankara.