National Sovereignty and Children’s Day in Beşiktaş

As part of the 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, Beşiktaş Municipality organised many different activities such as a field trip, a children’s festival, free theatre performances and talks. The celebrations started with a trip to Ankara and continued with a children's festival at İsmet İnönü Sports Facilities, theatre performances at our cultural centres and talks at Beltaş Book Café.

The Celebrations started in the morning with an official ceremony at Beşiktaş Anatolian High School. Mayor of Beşiktaş Rıza Akpolat then gave his office to the children and talked to them about their future plans.

While the Children’s Festival at İsmet İnönü Sports Facilities was the main address of the celebrations, the children who had fun in the playgrounds enjoyed the holiday enthusiasm to the fullest throughout the day. District Governor Oğuzhan Bingöl, Mayor Rıza Akpolat, District Director of National Education Sedat Işık and the district protocol attended the ceremony held at İsmet İnönü Sports Facilities and spent time with the children.

A Great Interest to the Ankara Trip

Beşiktaş Municipality organised a field trip to Ankara for our neighbours as part of the 23 April celebrations. On the night of 22 April, the large group departed from the main municipal building and was seen off by Mayor Rıza Akpolat. The tour included visits to the Independence War Museum, the Republic Museum and Anıtkabir. The guides accompanying our neighbours informed the visitors about the history of Ankara and the places visited.

Curtains Opened for Children

The curtains of Ortaköy and Akatlar Cultural Centres were opened for children on the 23 April. The plays “Mutluluk Denilince Akla” was staged at Ortaköy Cultural Centre and “Dünya Bizim Evimiz” at Akatlar Cultural Centre. Children and their parents showed great interest in the plays.

Zeynep Birsin Came Together with Her Readers at Beltaş Book Café

Children’s book author and educator Zeynep Birsin came together with children readers at Beltaş Book Café. On 23 April Tuesday, our children accompanied by their parents participated in the interview and signing day. Zeynep Birsin said, “It is precious for me to be here for children today. We are all trying to do the best in our fields on the path paved for us by Atatürk. It is really a great honour to be invited here for such an important day. I would like to thank Beşiktaş Municipality and the esteemed Mayor Rıza Akpolat for this honour.”

“We are Taking Hopeful Steps towards the Future”

In his speech at the celebrations in Beşiktaş, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat drew attention to the importance of 23 April and official holidays for Beşiktaş and used the following words: “23 April and all other official national holidays are very important for us.

Our Great Leader dedicated 23 April to children and 19 May to young people by saying ‘All My Hope is in Youth’. He put a vision in front of us. In Beşiktaş, we try to celebrate our national holidays with great enthusiasm and we attach great importance to this. Why? Because our youth is here. Beşiktaş is one of the places where the National Struggle started; the most important pillar. Beşiktaş is the name of the place where the Great Leader Veteran Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lived, where he made all the plans for the War of Independence, where he developed the idea of the Republic, and where he said ‘They will go as they came’ when the enemy ships came in front of Dolmabahçe.

Under the conditions of those times, an Independence War was fought. The country was surrounded by enemies. It was under invasion. If he wanted, he could easily establish a one-man regime. He could become a dictator, but he did not do that; he said ‘Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation’. He handed over the sovereignty to the people. He entrusted it to the children and youth of this country. Therefore, it is our greatest duty.  With this sense of responsibility, we put this duty at the centre of our understanding and act with this awareness every day, in all the works and projects we prepare.

I know that everyone here also acts with this sense of responsibility. We are taking hopeful steps towards the future. I am calling out with new hopes where there is no politics, where people do not get polarised, bitter and assailant, where they produce real solutions to real problems. I celebrate your National Sovereignty and Children's Day with these emotions.”