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'{{Infobox holiday |holiday_name = National Sovereignty and Children's Day |type = National |image = 23 April 2011 festival.jpg |caption = Events at schools take place across Turkey on Children's Day. |official_name = {{native name|tr|Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı}} |nickname = The Twenty-third of April |observedby = {{flag|Turkey}}<br />{{flag|Northern Cyprus}} |significance = The day in 1920 that the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]] was founded |date = 23 April |scheduling = same day each year |duration = 1 day |frequency = annual |celebrations = [[Concert]]s, [[parade]]s, events at schools, cultural programmes }} '''National Sovereignty and Children's Day''' ({{lang-tr|Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı}}) is a [[Public holidays in Turkey|public holiday]] in [[Turkey]] commemorating the foundation of the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]], on 23 April 1920. It is the only holiday, which is devoted to all children of the world by Ataturk. It is also observed by [[Northern Cyprus]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.kibrisgazetesi.com/ekonomi/2019da-14u-resmi-119-gun-tatil-var-h56202.html |title=2019'da 14'ü resmi, 119 gün tatil var |work=Kıbrıs Gazetesi |language=Turkish |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=April 9, 2020}}</ref> ==Background== 23 April is the day that the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]] was founded in 1920. The national council denounced the government of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed VI and announced a temporary constitution.<ref name="britannica1">{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Turkey/History#ref44426 |title=The Fundamental Law and abolition of the sultanate |work=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |accessdate=April 9, 2020}}</ref> This national day, April 23 Children's Day, in Turkey is a unique event. The founder of the Turkish Republic, [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]], presented April 23 to all the world's children to emphasize that they are successor of the future.<ref name="tbmm">{{cite web |url=http://www.tbmm.gov.tr/kultursanat/23_Nisan.htm |publisher=TBMM Kültür, Sanat ve Yayın Başkanlığı |title=23 Nisan |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sabah.com.tr/yasam/2015/04/23/23-nisan-ulusal-egemenlik-ve-cocuk-bayrami-mesajlari-ve-siirleri |newspaper=[[Sabah (newspaper)|Sabah]] |title=23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı – Mesajları ve şiirleri |date=April 22, 2015 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 23, 2015}}</ref> During the [[Turkish War of Independence|War of Independence]], [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Grand National Assembly]] met in [[Ankara]] and laid down the foundations of a new, independent, secular and modern republic from the ashes of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Following the defeat of the [[Allies of World War I|Allied invasion forces]] on September 9, 1922 and the signing of the [[Treaty of Lausanne]] on July 24, 1923, Atatürk started his task of establishing the institutions of the new state.<ref name="britannica1"/> Over the next eight years, Atatürk and his followers adopted sweeping reforms to create a modern Turkey, divorced from its Ottoman past.<ref name="britannica2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Turkey/Declaration-of-the-Turkish-republic#ref44428 |title=Turkey under Mustafa Kemal |work=Encyclopædia Britannica |accessdate=April 9, 2020}}</ref> In unprecedented moves, he dedicated the sovereignty day to the children and entrusted in the hands of the youth the protection of this sovereignty and independence.<ref name="tbmm"/> ==Customs== 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> 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. These children, in turn, sign executive orders relating to educational and environmental policies.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sabah.com.tr/galeri/turkiye/23-nisan-ile-ozdeslesen-koltuk-devirleri-gerceklesti-makamlar-bugun-miniklerin-oldu |newspaper=Sabah |title=23 Nisan ile özdeşleşen koltuk devirleri gerçekleşti! Makamlar bugün miniklerin oldu |date=April 23, 2019 |language=Turkish |accessdate=April 9, 2020}}</ref><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 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> Over the last two decades, the Turkish Republic has been working hard to internationalize this important day. Their efforts resulted in large number of countries sending groups of children to Turkey to participate in the above stated festivities. During their stay in Turkey, the foreign children are housed in Turkish homes and find an important opportunity to interact with the Turkish children and learn about each other's countries and cultures.<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 special 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> ==Celebration gallery== <gallery widths="223" heights="200"> File:Ataturk-23-4-1929-celebrations.jpg|[[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] (mid) in [[Ankara]] on the "Day of National Sovereignty", present-day the "National Sovereignty and Children's Day" (1929) File:Murat Boz Antalya2008.jpg|[[Murat Boz]] performing on stage as part of the [[TRT International April 23 Children's Festival]] (2008) File:Children'sDay07.JPG|Children from [[North Macedonia]] performing folk dance on the street in Istanbul (2014) </gallery> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category|National Sovereignty and Children's Day}} {{Public holidays in Turkey}} [[Category:Public holidays in Turkey]] [[Category:April observances]] [[Category:Children's Day]] [[Category:Spring (season) events in Turkey]]'