Turkey celebrates National Sovereignty and Children’s Day under lockdown
Children across the country dressed up and decorated their homes for virtual celebrations, while a few social-distanced ceremonies allowed some to spread the holiday joy.
Every year on April 23, schools, stadiums and streets in Turkey light up with celebrations as children sing, dance and read poetry to mark the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
Normally, it’s a day that many children await with excited anticipation, ready to show off their latest dance moves, shiniest shoes and memorised poetry for which they had diligently prepared in the weeks leading up to the celebrations.
This year, like the last one, the coronavirus pandemic prevented the usual celebrations, but children in different cities are celebrating at home and participating in low-key official celebrations.
Children in masks perform a traditional folk dance in the Aegean province of Mugla.
Every year, children take seats in the parliament or other government offices and buildings to symbolically lead the country for a day. Here, second grader Mirac Eymen Kaya sits in the seat of Mustafa Sentop, speaker of the parliament.
15-year-old Irem Serdar takes the seat of Amasra District Governor Gokhan Gurbuzerol. The kids are asked about their plans, policies and decisions as the new leaders in their respective positions.
Children in the village of Malkoclar in northwestern Turkey, near the Balkans, celebrate April 23.
Healthcare workers at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine’s Children’s Hospital dressed up as storybook characters to bring cheer to children.
April 23 under coronavirus stay-at-home measures has meant that families brought the national holiday festivities into their homes.
Minister of National Education, Ziya Selcuk, digitally celebrates April 23 with student from across the country.
Trucks decorated with Turkish flags and balloons paraded through the streets of central Anatolian city of Sivas, where government workers dressed as storybook heroes and characters waved at children watching from their windows.
April 23 commemorates the first gathering of the Turkish Grand National Assembly which took place in 1920. This year marks the 101st anniversary of the parliament’s foundation. Every year, the speaker of the parliament lays a wreath at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. The mausoleum is also visited by other government officials and party leaders.
23 April celebrations in the Mediterranean province of Antalya. As families were forced to celebrate from home this year, many took to the streets in costumes to make it a memorable holiday for children nonetheless.
Normally, National Sovereignty and Children's Day is celebrated outdoors alongside children from dozens of countries around the world who come to Turkey to participate in the festivities. Turkish families would host the visiting children, which provided an opportunity for children to learn about each other's cultures. Travel restrictions due to the pandemic has limited this annual intercultural experience.
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