23.04.2026 10:10
The state officials, led by Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Numan Kurtulmuş, attended the ceremony held at Anıtkabir on the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day.
A ceremony was held in front of the Atatürk Monument in the Parliament on the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day.
After the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, laid a wreath of red and white carnations at the Atatürk Monument, a moment of silence was observed and the Independence March was sung.
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Speakers of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Bekir Bozdağ, Pervin Buldan, Tekin Bingöl, AK Party Group Chairman Abdullah Güler, deputy group chairpersons of political parties, members of the GNAT Presidency Council, GNAT administrative directors, members of parliament, and GNAT administrative staff.
After the ceremony held in front of the Atatürk Monument, GNAT Speaker Kurtulmuş, members of parliament, members of the GNAT Presidency Council, and GNAT administrative staff proceeded to Anıtkabir by bus. This practice was initiated in 2024 by GNAT Speaker Kurtulmuş to prevent congestion of official vehicles.
"WE ONCE AGAIN WHOLEHEARTEDLY CONGRATULATE THE FOUNDING WILL 106 YEARS LATER"
The delegation, walking from the Lion Road to the mausoleum of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, observed a moment of silence and sang the Independence March after GNAT Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş laid a wreath at the mausoleum.
Signing the Anıtkabir Special Book in the National Oath 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 president of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the heart of Turkish democracy and the manifestation of the national will.
We once again wholeheartedly congratulate this founding will, exactly 106 years later, which declared a great day when the nation personally defended its independence and that sovereignty unconditionally belongs 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.
"OUR CHILDREN BEAR THE GREAT BURDEN OF HUMANITARIAN DISASTERS"
In the age we are passing through; our children bear the great burden of conflicts, all kinds of inequalities, deprivation, and severe humanitarian disasters that wound the global conscience. In such a period, the meaning of April 23 deepens even more. Indeed, protecting children is a matter of protecting human values and the claim to civilization. Our goal is to strengthen the strong social ground where every child lives in security, accesses quality education, can develop themselves freely, and walks towards 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 free homeland for children.
We will continue to carry the Republic, entrusted to us by our independence heroes, into the future with a determination befitting the historical responsibility of our Veteran Parliament. We will never abandon loyalty to the will of our nation; protecting the rights of all our citizens, especially our children, and elevating our beautiful country to strong tomorrows on the shoulders of young generations.
I commemorate Your Excellency, all our martyrs and veterans with gratitude and respect. May your souls rest in peace.