Today is April 23, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
On this day 104 years ago, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was established, the biggest step in the establishment of the Republic of Turkey which the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk dedicated to the children.
Anatolia had come out of wars, it was exhausted.
With the establishment of the Parliament, the people took a step towards self-determination under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Sovereignty now belonged unconditionally to the Nation.
April 23 was established as a holiday.
From the beginning, Atatürk wanted liberation to be achieved through the Parliament and the national will. In his every move, he calculated to achieve a will that would represent the Nation and had said the following: “All the world must know that there is no longer any office at the head of this nation. There is only one power and that is national sovereignty.”
With these words, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk explained that the Nation itself must determine its destiny. He said there was only one office and that was the heart and conscience of the Nation.
The Parliament began its work on April 23, 1920 in Ankara after the Friday prayer, with the prayers of the Nation.
The Parliament convened with 115 representatives. The opening speech was made by Sinop Member of Parliament, Sherif Bey, the oldest member of the MET.
Gazi Mustafa Kemal was unanimously elected the new Speaker of the Parliament. In Ankara, the foundations of a new state were laid.
Despite the difficulties, the national will prevailed in the Struggle for Independence.
April 23 was established as a National Holiday in 1921.
On April 23, 1929, the Great Leader Atatürk dedicated the holiday to children.
The reason Atatürk dedicated April 23 to children was not only his love for them, but the fact that he considered them the foundation of national sovereignty.
Caring for orphans was one of the most important priorities of the founders of the Republic of Turkey.
Dedicating the holiday to children represented humanity’s responsibility towards them.
April 23 was the name of the wish for peace for the children of the whole world.
Atatürk’s gift to the children received great interest and great appreciation from the world. It went down in history as an exemplary decision for the rights and future of children.