National Sovereignty and Children's Day: Difference between revisions

Every year, the children in Turkey celebrate National Sovereignty and Children's Day as a national holiday. Similar to other April events, Children's Day celebrations often take place outdoors.<ref name="sozcu"/> Schools participate in week-long ceremonies marked by performances in all fields in large stadiums watched by the entire nation.<ref name="sozcu">{{cite news |url=https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2019/gundem/23-nisan-ulusal-egemenlik-ve-cocuk-bayrami-tum-yurtta-coskuyla-kutlandi-4532142/ |newspaper=[[Sözcü]] |title=23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı tüm yurtta coşkuyla kutlandı |date=April 23, 2019 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 9, 2020}}</ref> Students decorate their classrooms with flags, balloons and handmade ornaments.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.academia.edu/19827286/Celebrating_National_Holidays_in_Turkey_History_and_Memory |title=Celebrating National Holidays in Turkey: History and Memory |journal=New Perspectives on Turkey |first=Arzu |last=Öztürkmen |volume=25 |date=Fall 2001 |page=67}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2016/egitim/23-nisan-coskusunun-merkezinde-de-sinirsizlar-vardi-1202882/ |newspaper=Sözcü |title=23 Nisan coşkusunun merkezinde de Sınırsızlar vardı! |date=April 26, 2016 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 27, 2021}}</ref> [[Anıtkabir]] is visited by children and politicians every year.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://tr.euronews.com/2019/04/23/23-nisan-ulusal-egemenlik-ve-cocuk-bayrami-tbmm-99-yasinda |title=23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı: TBMM 99 yaşında |publisher=[[Euronews]] |language=Turkish |date=April 23, 2019 |accessdate=April 23, 2021}}</ref> Among the activities on this day, the children send their representatives to replace state officials and high ranking civil servants in their offices. The [[President of Turkey|President]], the cabinet ministers, provincial governors, and mayors all turn over their positions to children's representatives in a purely [[ceremonial]] exercise.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haberler.com/buyuksehirde-23-nisan-da-koltuk-degisimi-11977567-haberi/ |publisher=Haberler.com |title=Büyükşehirde 23 Nisan'da Koltuk Değişimi |date=April 23, 2019 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 9, 2020}}</ref> On this day, the children also replace the parliamentarians in the Grand National Assembly and hold a ceremonial special session to discuss matters concerning children's issues.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haberturk.com/gundem/haber/1069217-95-yildir-ayni-heyecan |newspaper=[[Habertürk]] |title=95 yıldır aynı heyecan |date=April 23, 2015 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-celebrates-sovereignty-day-childrens-day-on-april-23.aspx?pageID=238&nID=81447&NewsCatID=341 |newspaper=[[Hürriyet Daily News]] |title=Turkey celebrates Sovereignty Day, Children's Day on April 23 |date=April 22, 2015 |accessdate=April 23, 2015}}</ref>

After [[UNESCO]] proclaimed 1979 as the [[International Year of the Child]], the [[Turkish Radio and Television Corporation]] (TRT) organized the first [[TRT International April 23 Children's Festival]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/trt-de-23-nisan-39015491 |title=TRT'de 23 Nisan |work=Hürriyet |language=Turkish |date=April 23, 1998 |accessdate=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423124611/https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/trt-de-23-nisan-39015491 |archive-date=April 23, 2021}}</ref> Five countries participated in this first celebration of the festivalholiday. Over the years, this number grew steadily, resulting in children from about 50 countries coming to Turkey fromin aboutan 50official countriesceremony every year to participate in the festival. During theirthe stay in Turkeytime, the foreign children are housed in Turkishspecific homeshousing and interact with the Turkish children and learn about each other's countries and cultures.<ref>{{cite newsin |url=https://www.haberler.com/festival-icin-gelen-yabanci-ogrencileri-evlerinde-11979553-haberi/an |title=Festivalofficial İçin Gelen Yabancı Öğrencileri Evlerinde Ağırladılar |publisher=Haberlerceremony.com |date=April 23, 2019 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 23, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/yasam/dunya-cocuklari-turk-misafirperverligiyle-tanisiyor/801200 |agency=[[Anadolu Agency]] |title=Dünya çocukları Türk misafirperverliğiyle tanışıyor |first=Behçet |last=Alkan |date=April 20, 2017 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 9, 2020}}</ref> The foreign children groups also participate in the specialceremonial session of the Grand National Assembly.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2019/gundem/tbmmde-23-nisan-ozel-oturumu-4533549/ |newspaper=Sözcü |title=TBMM'de 23 Nisan özel oturumu |first=Zeynep |last=Gürcanlı |date=April 23, 2019 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 9, 2020}}</ref>