Turkish PM celebrates Children’s Day in Ankara

ANKARA

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and children from all over Turkey celebrated National Sovereignty and Children’s Day in Ankara on Sunday.

The celebrations took place in Cankaya Palace in Ankara. The prime minister’s wife Sare Davutoglu, the head of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Gen. Hulusi Akar, and National Education Minister Nabi Avci were also present during the ceremony.

In total, 172 children took part in the event. Some were children of martyrs and veterans, others had shown outstanding success in various fields. There were also several Syrian orphans from the southeastern Sanliurfa, Gaziantep and Kilis provinces.

Davutoglu offered ice cream to the children and took selfies with them.

Turkey marked the 96th anniversary of the first season of its Grand National Assembly on Saturday, also celebrating National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.

Every year, children from around the world come together in Turkey to enjoy Children's Day celebrations and festivities in a hope that these memories of friendly atmosphere will contribute to a future of enhanced brotherhood and peace among nations.

The April 23 celebrations last for a week and focus on children after Ataturk, the first speaker of the parliament, dedicated the day to them as the nation’s future.

The 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.