Children will amplify their voices across Türkiye in celebration of National Sovereignty and Children’s Day on April 23 with vibrant performances and multifaceted events, as the parliament is set to mark the 106th anniversary of its foundation.
Nearly a year after the inception of the Turkish War of Independence in 1919, the Turkish parliament convened for the first time in Ankara, heralding a new epoch in the nation’s democracy story.
Türkiye’s founding leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk later dedicated the anniversary of the parliament’s opening to children — an enduring tribute that has since been commemorated as National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
In keeping with tradition, children symbolically assume the roles of key public figures — president, ministers, mayors and members of parliament— for a day, serving as an emblem of the country’s profound reverence for its future generations.
Education Minister Yusuf Tekin visited Atatürk’s mausoleum in Ankara to mark the occasion, accompanied by ministry officials, teachers and students.
The delegation walked along the ceremonial “Lion Road” to the tomb, where Tekin laid a wreath before a moment of silence and the singing of the national anthem.
In a message written in the memorial book, Tekin said the ministry viewed “the light in our children’s eyes as the guarantee of the future,” pledging to raise them with the awareness and compassion needed to surpass contemporary levels of civilisation.
He said the government remained committed to educating children in line with the legacy of Atatürk and the country’s long-term development goals.
