Turkish parliament to showcase students’ wishes for Children’s Day

ANKARA

Selected petitions submitted by middle school students across Türkiye will be displayed at the Turkish Parliament as part of celebrations marking both the 106th anniversary of the Grand National Assembly and April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.

Observed annually, April 23 commemorates the inauguration of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1920, a milestone in the country’s founding process led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The day also holds a distinctive place internationally as Children’s Day, reflecting Atatürk’s decision to dedicate the occasion to future generations, emphasizing the role of children in safeguarding national sovereignty.

The exhibition forms part of the “Small Hands, Big Wishes” initiative, which aims to familiarize students with their constitutional right to petition while fostering early engagement with democratic processes.

Under the program, sixth and seventh grade students from selected schools in the country’s 81 provinces submitted their requests, suggestions and complaints through a dedicated e-petition platform opened to young users for the first time.

The committee received nearly 3,000 submissions, with the highest number originating from the western province of Isparta, the northwestern province of Sakarya and Istanbul.

According to officials, the most common themes included animal rights, efforts to combat peer and cyberbullying and calls for improved access to healthy and free food in schools. A total of 13 petitions will be selected for display during a ceremony, where their young authors will also be hosted.

Sunay Karamık, head of the parliamentary Petitions Committee, said the initiative was designed to help children learn how to communicate with state institutions from an early age.

“We opened the parliament’s e-petition portal to our children and young people to understand what they think about Türkiye, what problems they identify and what ideas and proposals they have,” Karamık said, noting the “remarkably visionary” nature of many submissions.

Highlighting that the right to petition is a constitutional right, she added that even seemingly small demands voiced by children could inspire future legislative steps.