Emphasizing that April 23rd is one of the most important turning points in the history of our Republic, President Özcan included the following statements in his message: “Under the leadership of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was opened on April 23, 1920; national will was made dominant in these lands. We celebrate the 106th anniversary of the establishment of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey with great pride, in unity and solidarity. Just as it was 106 years ago, today the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is the strongest guarantee of our independence, our democracy, our unity and solidarity. Our Assembly, established with the principle of ‘Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation,’ is a historical turning point where our nation took its destiny into its own hands. The national struggle, which our beloved nation waged with great faith and determination, reached victory with the decisions taken under the roof of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey; the foundations of our Republic were laid with this will.” President Özcan, in his message, stated that they approached the meaning and importance of April 23rd with a different feeling this year, and made the following assessments: “Unfortunately, a tragic event that occurred recently and deeply saddened us all has broken our hearts. The pain of our children who lost their lives in Kahramanmaraş is in our hearts. On this occasion, we would like to reiterate that creating safe and healthy living spaces for our children is the shared responsibility not only of public authorities but also of all segments of society. Protecting the physical, emotional, and social development of our children; keeping them away from violence and harmful habits is the duty of all of us. We must prepare our children for the future with a strong value system within a broad framework extending from family to education, from social environment to the digital world. To prevent such tragedies from happening again, we must take more responsibility, be more protective, and always be there for our children.” Emphasizing that April 23rd is the only holiday in the world dedicated to children, Özcan continued his message as follows:
“We are celebrating the 23rd of April National Sovereignty and Children's Day this year with pride on one hand, and a touch of sadness on the other. The safety and happiness of our children, the most precious assets entrusted to us by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who gifted this meaningful day to children, comes before everything else. A smile on our children's faces is the strongest hope for the future of our country. With this awareness, we must continue to fulfill all our responsibilities to ensure they grow up as healthy, educated, happy, and free individuals. Leaving a safer, fairer, and stronger Turkey to the generations who will build our future is our shared duty. At the end of his message, Özcan stated that he commemorated all the heroes of the struggle for independence, especially Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with mercy and gratitude, respectfully remembered our martyrs, and expressed his thanks to our veterans, and congratulated all children on the 23rd of April National Sovereignty and Children's Day.”
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