National Sovereignty and Childrens Day (Turkish: Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı) is a public holiday in Turkey commemorating the foundation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, on 23 April 1920. It is also observed by Northern Cyprus.
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. During the War of Independence, 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 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. Over the next eight years, Atatürk and his followers adopted sweeping reforms to create a modern Turkey, divorced from its Ottoman past.23 April was declared National Sovereignty Day on May 2, 1921. Since 1927, the holiday has also been celebrated as a childrens day. In 1981, the holiday was officially named National Sovereignty and Childrens Day.
Every year, the children in Turkey celebrate National Sovereignty and Childrens Day as a national holiday. Similar to other April events, Childrens Day celebrations often take place outdoors. Schools participate in week-long ceremonies marked by performances in all fields in large stadiums watched by the entire nation. 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, the cabinet ministers, provincial governors, and mayors all turn over their positions to childrens representatives. On this day, the children also replace the parliamentarians in the Grand National Assembly and hold a ceremonial special session to discuss matters concerning childrens issues.After UNESCO proclaimed 1979 as the International Year of the Child, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) organized the first TRT International April 23 Childrens Festival. Five countries participated in this first celebration of the festival. Over the years, this number grew steadily, resulting in children coming to Turkey from about 50 countries every year to participate in the festival. 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 others countries and cultures. The foreign children groups also participate in the special session of the Grand National Assembly.