The seats of the Turkish parliament on April 20 were filled with children from across the country during a special session held to celebrate National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, with solidarity messages after the last week’s school shooting incidents.
The Turkish parliament first opened doors on April 23, 1920, during the Turkish War of Independence, marking one of the early foundational steps toward the republic that would be proclaimed three years later.
Türkiye’s founding leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk dedicated the holiday marking the opening of parliament to children, whom he regarded as the future of the nation. Since then, it has been celebrated as National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
Each year, children from all over Türkiye take over the parliamentary seats, delivering speeches in place of MPs and the speaker. They also symbolically assume the roles of the president, ministers and mayors, sharing messages on education and the future of the country.
Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmuş on April 20 opened the session.
“I hope that you will carry the flag you receive from us even higher and ensure that the Republic of Türkiye remains everlasting. You will always be the voice of humanity in these lands,” Kurtulmuş told the junior MPs during the session.
“We will overcome difficult times through solidarity,” he said on the last week’s school shooting incidents.
The attack in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş involved a student opening fire at his school, killing one teacher and eight students, following a separate shooting incident in the nearby city of Şanlıurfa. The incident sent shockwaves across the country, leading to increased security measures in schools nationwide.
Following his speech, Kurtulmuş handed over his seat to student İnci Yıldız Şentürk.
In her address, Şentürk began by commemorating the nine people who lost their lives in the school attack in Kahramanmaraş.
“The tragic incident that took place in our schools last week deeply affected us all. I pray for mercy upon our teacher and classmates who lost their lives and extend my condolences to their grieving families and our education community,” she said.
“We will study harder and strive to honor the dedication of our teachers. As children who respect their elders, do not shy away from responsibility, and care about the problems of their country, we will work with all our strength to build Türkiye’s future,” “Şentürk said in her address during the special session.
After Şentürk’s speech, several other children also took the podium to address the general assembly. Education Minister Yusuf Tekin also attended the session.
Alongside the special session on April 20, various events will be held in parliament to mark the 106th anniversary of its founding.
