By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL- On Sunday, Turkiye celebrated the Turkish Parliament’s 103rd anniversary as well as National Sovereignty and Children’s Day. Festivities began with Turkiye’s National Education Minister Mahmut Ozer accompanying a group of children to visit Anitkabir in Ankara, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who founded the Turkish Republic. Ozer lauded Ataturk’s achievements and Turkish parliamentarians who were instrumental in leading the War of Independence. Other notable Turkish officials including Vice-President Fuat Oktay and Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop along with other government officials also visited Anitkabir.
Turkish Vice-President Oktay commented in a tweet: “I sincerely congratulate the 103rd anniversary of the establishment of our Turkish Grand National Assembly and the April 23 Grand National Assembly and the April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day of our children, who are the guarantee of our future, and I commemorate with gratitude all the heroes of our national struggle especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatutk.”
Turkiye’s First Lady Emine Erdogan also commented on twitter: “The hope of Turkiye, who will proudly fly our noble flag for centuries, is our children. I wish the excitement in their eyes and the determination to succeed in their hearts never diminishes, and I embrace each of them with love.”
Traditionally, celebrations on this day focus on children since it was Ataturk who dedicated the day to children who he said are the nation’s future. The Turkish Grand National Assembly met for the first time in Ankara in 1920 during the War of Independence to cement the foundations for Turkiye to be an independent, secular and modern republic.
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