Turkey marks National Sovereignty and Children’s Day

ANKARA, TURKEY - APRIL 23: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds a meeting with a group of children at the presidential complex, and symbolically gives his seat to Fatih Mintas, age 12, as Turkey's head of state on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day marking the 98th anniversary of foundation of Grand National Assembly of Turkey on April 23, 2018 in Ankara . The sixth - grade student took questions from the press on current issues in Turkey. Turkey celebrated National Sovereignty and Children’s Day as well as the 98th anniversary of the foundation of parliament on Monday. In Turkey the holiday is marked by a festival for children, and public offices, schools, and the private sector also hold programs. The April 23 celebrations focus on children after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of Republic of Turkey, dedicated the day to children as the nation’s future. The parliament or Grand National Assembly met for the first time in Ankara in 1920 during the War of Independence to lay the foundations for an independent, secular and modern republic..