THE Çanakkale Commemoration Platform (ÇAP) celebrated the 101st anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and Children’s Day with an online conference. Many representatives of non-governmental organizations from England, Turkey and TRNC attended the event organized including the Turkish Consulate General in London Consul General Bekir Utku Atahan and historian Dr Mithat Atabay.
In his opening speech, Consul General Atahan started his speech by saying “I congratulate our children and our citizens in England on 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day with my sincere wishes”. Adding “The national spirit that emerged with the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly 101 years ago today paved the way for the war of liberation and modern Turkey…”
Following his opening speech, Dr Atabay told the story of 143 parliamentarians and senators who fought with the enemy on the front and then entered politics in the Gallipoli Wars, establishing the modern Turkish Republic from the ashes of a burnt and destroyed empire.
When asked about the environment of the First Assembly, Dr Atabay said, “The capital city of Istanbul was occupied and the sovereignty of the capital was taken away. One day after March 16, 1920, Mustafa Kemal decided to convene the Parliament in Ankara… When we look at the First Assembly, we see that 25 deputies fought in Çanakkale. These were very qualified people. Officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers who participated in the Çanakkale Wars, doctors who served in health services at the front, healthcare professionals working in hospitals…”
ÇAP Chair Servet Hassan said, “Today is the biggest holiday because it is the holiday where the Turkish nation declared its independence to the whole world and we celebrate our nation’s sovereignty. On behalf of the Çanakkale Commemoration Platform, we sincerely celebrate the 101st anniversary of the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, which is the heart of the national will, and April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day…”