Celebrating April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day at the Presidency
President Ersin Tatar has underlined the importance of “sovereignty” in a speech marking the 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day – when addressing the schoolchildren who paraded to the Presidency in celebration of the national day.
President Tatar, who addressed the parade that was also attended by Nazım Çavuşoğlu, Minister of National Education and staff from the schools of the Lefkoşa district, stated: “The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, an independent Turkish State in the Eastern Mediterranean, is continuing its existence and is a pillar of peace on the Island. You, our children of this country, are the future of the TRNC. April 23 is not only a children’s holiday, but a day of reflection and appreciation of the importance of sovereignty. National sovereignty means the people taking possession of their own destiny. The great leader, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, thought a lot about this when he gifted this holiday to you and deemed you worthy of sovereignty. In the future, you will be making the decisions for this country."
Stating that “Mustafa Kemal Atatürk dedicated April 23 to all the children of the world,” President Tatar said: “The TRNC, alongside Motherland Türkiye, has started celebrations of this holiday in ceremonies, parades, performances and sports activities. I wish to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to all teachers, who play an important duty in providing modern educational values in line with the thoughts and ideals of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.”
Emphasising that this special day gifted to children by Atatürk “is the most important indicator of trust in children”, President Tatar said: “It gives us great pride to being able to host you at the Presidency today. You are individuals who will shape the future of this country. Everybody, from the Ministry of National Education, to your teachers. . . are proud of your achievements and will do everything possible to make you succeed. We love and believe in our children who are our future.”
President Tatar stated that the new Presidential complex will be opened on May 3, adding that he “will be pleased to host the students at the new Presidential grounds for the April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day celebrations next year”.