Celebrating 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day: President Ersin Tatar meets with children receiving special education
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President Ersin Tatar met with a group of children who are receiving special education and their teachers and families, at the new Presidential Complex, as part of the celebrations marking 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
President Tatar, who made a statement during the visit, stated that he has been “touched by the excitement and happiness displayed by the primary school children" during their visit to the newly opened Presidential Complex – which he said “are the very first visits here by the public”.
“I am happy to be conducting my first meetings at the new Presidential Complex on the 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, with hundreds of children and their families and teachers, who are paying visits to the new Presidency,” President Tatar said.
“The new Presidential Complex will officially be opened very soon, however we have started to conduct our meetings here and 23 April is an important date in our national calendar as it is a day that our nation celebrates. . .where we appreciate and comprehend the importance of sovereignty and our beloved children. 23 April, which was gifted by Atatürk to all children, this year marks the 105th anniversary of the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. It is the only holiday that is dedicated to children,” President Tatar said.
“You are all today making a historical visit as the second group of children to be visiting the new Presidential Complex which has been opened to the public today. The Presidency is fitting for our sovereign State, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. I express my gratitude to the Republic of Türkiye and to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” President Tatar added.
President Tatar said: “You, our children, are the future of our country. You will all grow up and will contribute to the goodness of our country through your work in the future. Some of you will be serving in these corridors of power. You will all have responsibilities to improve yourselves, and to contribute to the goodness of the Turkish Cypriot People and your country. This is why it is very important that you succeed in education, of which the State is responsible to provide, and to make the best use of the opportunities that exists.”
Stating that he wished to “stress the importance of sovereignty to the children,” President Tatar said: “Without sovereignty, you cannot govern yourselves and will be destined to be ruled by others. This is the importance of being a sovereign People. Sovereignty means freedom, independence and self-governance. This is why I am putting forward a new vision and position for a two State settlement in Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot People have equal inherent rights, namely sovereign equality and equal international status. These rights were usurped by the Greek Cypriot Side who expelled us from the partnership Republic of Cyprus by force of arms in December 1963, of which we had co-founded on the basis of equality. Turkish Cypriots want a realistic and sustainable settlement. However federal based negotiations have been exhausted, following repeated failures to find a solution on this basis for more than 60 years. It is time for us to turn a new page and look towards a bright and prosperous future, that is based on the cooperative relationship of two neighbourly States, for the sake of our children.”
President Tatar ended his statement by congratulating all the children on April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day.