State officials at Anıtkabir on April 23

A ceremony was held in front of the Atatürk Monument at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) complex as part of the April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day and the 106th anniversary of the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

COMMEMORATION CEREMONY AT THE PARLIAMENT

Numan Kurtulmuş laid a wreath consisting of red and white carnations at the Atatürk Monument. A moment of silence was observed, and the National Anthem was played during the ceremony.

The program was attended by TBMM Deputy Speakers Bekir Bozdağ, Pervin Buldan, and Tekin Bingöl, as well as AK Party Group Chairman Abdullah Güler, group deputy chairmen of political parties, members of the TBMM Presidential Council, administrative chiefs, members of parliament, and parliamentary staff.

Following the ceremony at the Parliament, Kurtulmuş, the members of parliament, and the accompanying delegation traveled to Anıtkabir by bus. It was stated that this practice was initiated in 2024 to reduce the density of official vehicles.

WREATH LAID AT THE MAUSOLEUM

The delegation walked along the Lion Road and reached the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. After TBMM Speaker Kurtulmuş laid a wreath, a moment of silence was observed, and the National Anthem was played.

MESSAGE IN THE ANITKABİR SPECIAL BOOK

Signing the Anıtkabir Special Book at the Misak-ı Milli Tower, Kurtulmuş wrote the following:

“On the 106th anniversary of the opening of the First Parliament, on the occasion of April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day, we are experiencing the excitement of visiting the first speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the heart of Turkish democracy and the manifestation of the national will.

We wholeheartedly celebrate once again, exactly 106 years later, this great day when the nation personally took ownership of its independence and this founding will that declared that sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation. We see the idea of national sovereignty, which lies at the foundation of our Republic, as the guarantee of justice, democracy, social peace, and our common future.

In the era we are passing through, our children bear the heavy burden of conflicts, all kinds of inequality, deprivation, and severe humanitarian disasters that wound the global conscience. In such a period, the meaning of April 23 deepens even further. Indeed, protecting children is a matter of protecting human values and the claim of civilization. Our goal is to strengthen the strong social foundation where every child lives in safety, has access to quality education, can develop themselves freely, and walks toward the future in the light of science, art, and morality. The most genuine way to keep national sovereignty alive is to leave a fairer, more prosperous, and freer homeland to our children.

We will continue to carry the Republic, which is the legacy of our independence heroes, into the future with a determination worthy of the historical responsibility of our Gazi Parliament. We will never give up on loyalty to the will of our nation, protecting the rights of all our citizens, especially our children, and raising our beautiful country to strong tomorrows on the shoulders of the young generation.

I commemorate Your Excellency, all our martyrs, and our veterans with gratitude and respect. May your soul rest in peace.”