National Sovereignty and
Children's Day in Turkey, 23rd April
Quick Facts
National
Sovereignty and Children’s Day in Turkey, observed every April 23, commemorates
the Turkish Parliament’s creation and celebrates children’s role in the
country’s development
National Sovereignty and Children's Day 2013
Tuesday,
April 23, 2013
Solemn ceremonies and children’s festivals take place throughout Turkey on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, held on April 23 each year. Children take seats in the Turkish Parliament and symbolically govern the country for one day.
Solemn ceremonies and children’s festivals take place throughout Turkey on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, held on April 23 each year. Children take seats in the Turkish Parliament and symbolically govern the country for one day.
Children
actively take part in parliament on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day in
Turkey.
©iStockphoto.com/
Ankaralı Turgut&duncan1890
What do people do?
Many people
in Turkey commemorate the first gathering of the Grand National Assembly (the
Turkish Parliament), which took place on April 23, 1920, by attending local
ceremonies or laying wreaths at monuments of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder
of the Turkish Republic. The biggest ceremony takes place at the Ataturk
Mausoleum in Ankara.
Because
Ataturk reportedly dedicated the Turkish Republic to children, Turkish
schoolchildren take seats in the Parliament for the day and symbolically govern
the country. They elect a president who then addresses the country on national
television. Children’s festivals take place throughout the country. The
state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) brings children, aged
eight to 14, from different countries around the world to Turkey. These
children stay with Turkish families for a week and participate in children’s
festivals, which culminate is a gala-performance on April 23.
Public life
National
Sovereignty and Children’s Day is an official holiday in Turkey. Government
offices, schools and most businesses are closed on this day. Public transport
routes may vary in the event of street performances.
Background
The first
gathering of the Turkish Grand National Assembly took place on April 23, 1920,
during Turkey’s War of Independence (1919-1923). Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
proclaimed the parliament an important step toward building a new state after
the Ottoman Empire was defeated during World War I. Ataturk reportedly
dedicated the Turkish Republic to children in Turkey.
Turkey
officially celebrated Grand National Assembly Day on April 23 and held a
children’s week starting on that day, from 1923–1934. The Turkish government
then combined the two events into National Sovereignty and Children’s Day in
1935. Turkish Radio and Television Corporation has been organizing
international children’s festivals, held during the week of April 23, since
1979.
