April 23 National Sovereignty And Child's Day

ARINC VISITS MAUSOLEUM OF ATATURK

ANKARA - April 23 National Sovereignty and Child's Day has been celebrated throughout Turkey.
The first ceremony took place at the parliament at 09.00 a.m. on Friday.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc laid a wreath to the Ataturk monument at the parliament to mark April 23 National Sovereignty and Child's Day.
Representatives of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the Republican People's Party (CHP), and True Path Party (DYP) attended the ceremony.
Later, a delegation headed by Arinc visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Great Leader of modern and secular Republic of Turkey.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener, DYP leader Mehmet Agar, CHP Secretary General Onder Sav, ministers and deputy parliament speakers were in attendance at the ceremony.
After Arinc laid a wreath of red and white carnations on the mausoleum, the delegation observed a minute of silence out of respect to Great Leader Ataturk and his brothers in arm.
Later, Arinc signed the special book of the mausoleum saying, ''today, we are celebrating the 84th anniversary of foundation of our parliament which acquired its independence as a result of one of the greatest struggles for freedom in the world. The Turkish parliament has been the guarantee of our modern, democratic and secular state of law. Our parliament will continue to be the only representative of free will of the Turkish nation.''
(UK) 23.04.2004