Turkey's National Sovereignty and Children's Day

By All Over InformationUpdated August 10, 20267 min read

Every April 23, Turkey celebrates a holiday that exists nowhere else in the world: a national day given entirely to children. National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, known in Turkish as Ulusal Egemenlik ve Cocuk Bayrami, combines the founding of the Turkish parliament with the celebration of childhood. The date marks the opening of the Grand National Assembly in Ankara in 1920, and since 1929 it has also been the day when Turkey honors its children and the children of the world. For visitors, April 23 is one of the most colorful and heartwarming days on the Turkish calendar.

The Date and Its Meaning

April 23, 1920, was the day the Grand National Assembly first met in Ankara. At the time, the country was occupied by foreign powers after the First World War, and the assembly was the parliament of the national resistance that would win the War of Independence.

The date therefore stands for national sovereignty, the principle that the power of the state belongs to the nation itself. In Turkish, the word egemenlik means sovereignty, and the name of the holiday puts it first: National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.

The joining of the two ideas, sovereignty and children, was the work of one man. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk decided that the day of national independence should also be the day of the nation’s future, and he gave the holiday to the children.

The Opening of the Assembly

The assembly that opened on April 23, 1920, was born of necessity. With the sultan and his government in Istanbul under the control of the occupying powers, the national movement needed its own center, and Ankara was chosen as the seat of the resistance.

The building that housed the first assembly was a small stone building in the center of the city, and the deputies who gathered there came from all parts of the country. Many had traveled through the war zones to reach Ankara.

The assembly took the government into its hands, and from this building the national struggle was directed. The building, preserved as a museum, remains one of the most important places in the history of modern Turkey.

Turkey's National Sovereignty and Children's Day — Photo by Camera-man on Pixabay

Why Children

The decision to give the holiday to children came in 1929, at a time when the young republic was building its schools and its new society. Ataturk saw the children as the guarantee of the future of the nation.

He dedicated the day to them with these words in mind: the children of today are the citizens of tomorrow, and the republic that he had founded would live or die by the generations it raised. The gesture was both symbolic and practical.

The dedication made Turkey the first country in the world to give a national holiday to children. The decision has been kept ever since, and April 23 remains the day when the country turns its attention to the youngest of its citizens.

The Children of the World

The holiday soon grew beyond the borders of Turkey. In 1979, declared the International Year of the Child, the celebration was opened to the children of the world, and delegations of children from many countries were invited to Turkey.

Since then, the tradition has continued. Every year, groups of children from dozens of countries arrive in Turkey for April 23, and they stay with Turkish families, visit the cities, and take part in the celebrations.

The children perform their own dances and songs in the festivals, and they are treated as the guests of honor of the country. The message of the day is that childhood belongs to everyone, and that the children of the world are the future of the world.

The Celebrations in Schools

The heart of the holiday is the school celebration. In the weeks before April 23, the schools rehearse their programs: the folk dances, the songs, the poems, and the gymnastics displays that fill the day.

On the morning of the holiday, the children come to school in their best clothes, often in the traditional costumes of the regions or in the uniforms of the scouts. The ceremonies begin with the raising of the flag and the singing of the national anthem, and the performances of the children follow one after another.

The parents and the families crowd the schoolyards, and the day has the atmosphere of a great village festival. The children are the stars, and the pride of the families is the emotion that fills every corner of the celebration.

The Parades and Ceremonies

Beyond the schools, April 23 is celebrated with parades and public ceremonies across the country. The children march through the streets with their flags and their banners, and the towns turn out to watch.

The official ceremonies include the laying of wreaths at the monuments of Ataturk and the speeches of the officials, but the tone of the day is playful rather than solemn. The music, the costumes, and the dancing keep the celebration light.

In the cities, the parks and the squares fill with events for the children: the games, the stages, the balloons, and the free performances that the municipalities and the organizations put on for the day.

Children in the Seats of Power

A beloved tradition of the day is the symbolic handover of power. On April 23, children take the seats of the officials: they occupy the desks of the governors, the mayors, and even the president, and they receive the reports and the requests of the day.

The most famous of these ceremonies takes place in Ankara, where the president receives the children in the presidential palace and hands over the chair for the day. The children make their speeches, and their words are reported with all seriousness.

The tradition is the most literal expression of the meaning of the day. For one day, the country is governed, in symbol, by its children, and the gesture renews the promise that the future belongs to the young. The children take their temporary duties seriously, reading their prepared questions and answers, and the officials on hand play along with patience and good humor.

International Guests

The international children who come to Turkey for April 23 are hosted with great care. The guest children are placed with Turkish families, who welcome them into their homes as members of the household for the duration of the visit.

The program of the guests includes the festivals in Ankara and Istanbul, the tours of the cities, and the grand ceremony of the children’s parade. The children wear their national costumes, and the parade of the flags of many nations, with the children of the world marching together through the Turkish streets, is one of the great images of the day.

For the families who host them, the visit is an honor and a joy, and friendships formed during the April 23 visits often last for years. The tradition has made the holiday a genuine festival of international childhood.

The Day Across Turkey

Every region of Turkey celebrates April 23 in its own way. In the big cities, the day brings large parades and crowded parks. In the small towns and the villages, the celebration is held in the schoolyard and the village square, with the whole community taking part.

The folk dances of the regions are the heart of the local celebrations. The children perform the halay of the southeast, the horon of the Black Sea, and the zeybek of the Aegean, keeping the traditions of their regions alive. In the mountain villages, the school itself may be the only stage for miles, and the whole valley comes to watch. In the coastal towns, the celebrations move to the waterfront, where the sea breeze carries the music through the streets and the families picnic on the shore.

Wherever you are on April 23, you will hear the music and see the children in their costumes. The holiday is the same in its spirit across the country: a day when the whole nation celebrates its children.

Practical Tips for Visitors

If you are in Turkey on April 23, you are in for a treat. The best experiences are the school parades in the morning and the festivals in the parks through the day, where the children’s performances and the games are free to watch and join.

April 23 is a public holiday, so the banks and the government offices close, and the schools are closed for the celebrations. The shops and the museums in the tourist areas generally stay open, and the transport continues to run.

To see the celebration at its grandest, visit Ankara, where the official ceremonies and the children’s programs are the largest. To see it at its most touching, find a small town or a village school, where the day is celebrated with the whole community in the square.

Frequently asked questions

What is National Sovereignty and Children’s Day?

April 23 is Turkey’s national holiday that marks the opening of the Grand National Assembly in Ankara in 1920. Since 1929, it has also been dedicated to children, making Turkey the first country in the world with a national holiday for children. The day celebrates both national independence and childhood.

What happens on April 23 in Turkey?

Schools hold parades, folk dance performances, and ceremonies, and children march through the streets with flags. Children symbolically take over the seats of officials, including the presidency, and international children’s delegations are hosted in Turkey for the celebrations. Parks and squares fill with games, concerts, and family events through the day.

Is April 23 a public holiday?

Yes, April 23 is an official public holiday in Turkey. Banks, schools, and government offices close, and many workplaces give the day off. Shops and museums in tourist areas generally stay open, and public transport runs, making it an easy day for visitors to enjoy the celebrations in the streets and parks.

All Over Information

The All Over Information editorial team researches and writes practical English-language guides to Turkey. Facts are checked against official and local sources before publication, prices are published as dated ranges rather than quotes, and guides are revised when things change. We accept no sponsored posts, paid placements or paid links.