Asaf Atasoy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Asfa Holding, included the following statements in his message;

We are honored and delighted to celebrate the 106th anniversary of the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and the 23rd April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, a gift from Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to the children.

April 23, 1920, the date on which the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, one of the most fundamental institutions of our state, was opened with the understanding that “Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation,” is the date when our beloved nation, with all its children from young to old, rose again and declared its independence to the whole world through its selfless struggle for its nation, state, flag, call to prayer, and independence.

The opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is a crucial turning point that paved the way for the liberation of the Turkish nation, which was in the midst of a fiery ordeal, and for the declaration of its republic. It is a moment when the people asserted their sovereignty, new hopes blossomed, and new horizons opened for our country. Gazi Mustafa Kemal, who entrusted the republic he founded to our youth, the guarantors of the future, also gifted April 23rd as a holiday to the children he loved so much.

Atatürk’s decision to dedicate this day as a holiday to children is the most important indicator of the value and trust he placed in them. It is also one of our most important duties to raise our children, who are the guarantee of a strong and happy future, as knowledgeable, productive, hardworking, and successful individuals who are wholeheartedly devoted to their country, nation, and national and spiritual values.

On this occasion, I commemorate with respect and gratitude the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and his comrades-in-arms, as well as all the heroes of our War of Independence, our martyrs, and our veterans who sacrificed their lives for the survival of our homeland and nation.

“I congratulate all our children on April 23rd National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, and with the hope that this holiday will bring happiness to the children of our country and the world, I wish them a future as pure and innocent as their hearts, filled with love, kindness, and success.”

Abdullah Yiğit – Istanbul

Last Update: April 21, 2026

Asfa Holding Board Chairman Asaf Atasoy included the following statements in his message;

I congratulate with my most sincere feelings the 105th anniversary of the foundation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the symbol of our independence and freedom, and the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day of all the children of Türkiye and the world. April 23, 1920, the day the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was opened, has gone down in world history as the day we declared our independence and the dominance of the national will by saying, “Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation.”

I respectfully commemorate all our martyrs who risked their lives during the War of Independence for the independence and freedom of our homeland and our beloved nation and who entrusted a free homeland to future generations. I remember our heroic veterans with respect and reverence.

At a time when our homeland is being occupied by imperialist powers from all sides and every soldier of our homeland is being targeted for freedom, our dear nation, who wants to show its free will on the field and at the table, has once again demonstrated its determination in our struggle for independence and future by opening the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The fire that our Grand Assembly has lit in the hearts of the National Struggle has illuminated the path of our dear nation in the darkest days, brought our nation together around a common goal and paved the way to victory.

I hope that April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, which was presented to our children by the commander of our War of Independence and the first president of our Parliament, Gazi Mustafa Kemal, and is the only children’s day in the world, will be an occasion for our children and youth, who are the guarantors of the survival of our country, to join hands with all the children of the world to build a world based on love, peace and brotherhood and to achieve a more just world.

On this joyful day, I remember the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and all the heroes of the War of Independence with mercy, gratitude and appreciation; I celebrate the 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day of our children and embrace them with love.

Abdullah Yigit-Istanbul

Last Updated: April 20, 2025